LPO Clutter Scavenger Hunt 11 – Disposables

Welcome to the Laurel Plum Online Clutter Scavenger Hunt.

Today I want you to start paying attention to all of the disposable items you already have around your house AND to some disposables you could start using to save yourself time.

There are a lot of things you can eliminate. They are things that will make a big difference to the clutter around your house whether it be by reducing the amount of trash you have, the space you need to store them, or in many cases – cha-ching – the change you keep doling out when you can pay a tad more one time for a more permanent solution.

But the opposite is true, too. There are places where you can begin using disposables instead of permanent pieces. You will not be getting an award for ‘Going Green’ anytime soon, but I have frequently made suggestions to compliment an individuals situation.

This challenge will be another one you ought to revisit form time to time. Some items and their alternatives will come to mind right away and their changes will be fairly easy to implement. Other items you may need to think about or will not notice until you get into the practice of eliminating/adding disposables.

Reducing Disposables

When trying to figure out where to eliminate disposables, start by paying attention to the multitude of things you are most frequently putting in your trash can or recycle bin. Pick any one of those things and think about ways to do without it completely or to replace it with something you could use over and over again.

Each of us will have our own list.  I have a few quick examples.

• How about getting rid of junk mail or some of the other items we have already covered in the Clutter Scavenger Hunt?
• It has been several years since I purchased paper towels. I traded them in for microfiber and T-shirt rags, and an abundant supply of white terry cloth hand towels. This one saved me time and money in several places. With window washing alone I saved a fortune on the paper towels and the cleaning solution AND because I no longer had to take the time to tear off or gather up and lug around the used remnants I was able to speed the job up considerably.
• Choosing rechargeable batteries for all of those remotes and electronic gadgets you have everywhere. We have a charger that accepts several different sizes from AAA to D.  As quickly as batteries deplete, this has saved us another small fortune. BTW – We are big into DIY and make sure we have spare rechargeable batteries for many of our tools. But if you only use your tools once or twice a year, maybe sticking to tools that plug in would be a better alternative. Even rechargeable batteries have a shelf life and as tool manufacturers upgrade their lines, over time some may be harder to replace than others. If we have to replace a tool after a few years of use because of the battery, it may be a disappointment, but the tool has paid for itself many times over before it became obsolete.  Make sure you could say the same either in convenience or financially before you invest.
• Opting for cloth diapers (or diaper services) over disposable diapers.
• Choosing online versions of newspapers, communication and other services (like your calendar) where physical paper usually does the job.
• Chose fresh or frozen foods over their canned versions more often. The cans take up more space in your trash bag and usually can not be recycled as easily. The cans change the taste of food.  And I remember the days before I began meal planning. I was more likely to opt to pass on the fresh and frozen choices if I was unsure if we were out. It was easy to overstock cans in the pantry. The canned goods take up more space, more money in the long run, and are usually not as healthy as the alternatives.

Organizing Basics – Taking this scavenger hunt up a notch, next time you try the challenge, take a look at the things that take a lot of room to store. Look in your pantry, your cleaning closet, every catch all space. Try to think of alternatives that will take up less room and also may provide other benefits.

Second Steps – After a few times through reducing your disposable storables, start getting creative to see just how very Green and/or Space Savvy you can be. Start looking at all of the items you put into your trashcan or recycle bin. I mean each and every item. Think you could get to a point where you have only one trash bag a month? Look into each and every little storage space you have. Think you could get to a point where you have replaced all of your disposables?

Adding Disposables

There are many circumstances where adding disposables into your life can save you time, add to your freedom in very significant ways, or simply add something special to the quality of our lives.

Now anyone can picture a sink full of dirty dishes that have been there longer than they should have been. There have been many times when I have suggested that someone quits using their quality dinnerware and started using paper plates.

• Maybe the person or family are in a transitional phase and using the paper plates will give them a temporary stay until the time when they can better settle into a more permanent routine. There have been two occasions in my experience when it was not a life transition that called to add disposables for a while, but a transition of choices or perspective. Both were people that had over committed their time to the point they literally did not have time to do dishes. They had also gotten tired of paying for cleaning services and/or eating out for every meal. For both, we implemented many disposables while working to reduce their commitments and setting up other productivity systems.
• Maybe they are disabled or other-abled and dish washing or even using a dishwasher takes considerable effort or causes pain that could be eliminated.
• On occasion, I have known elderly shut ins who have given up on eating because of the trouble it takes to cook and clean. On those occasions we have switched not only to paper plates, but made sure to have many of the single serving and easy open packaged meals made for the kids lunchboxes available in the house, and tried to arrange frequent meal delivery by family or local services with disposable utensils. (If you know a shut in, also know that some will get to a point if it is not out in the open in plain sight, they will not open the cabinet or refrigerator to select anything. You can encourage eating by cluttering up those counter tops with non perishable selections. You can stand to keep the clutter and keep it clean when you know that it enables the person to be happy, healthy, and to continue independent living with some assistance.)

These are only a few examples of when adding disposables is a great idea.

Upgrading SOME Disposables – Another Second Step

I have to admit, I have had a long love affair with paper. I get just as swoony in an office supply store as I do when shoe shopping. I am not technologically challenged, nor am I resistant to change. There is just something about the look and feel of paper. There is something comforting about them and the actions made when using paper that I just do not get by using the non disposable alternatives.

In many instances, I recognized an opportunity to improve my attitude and quality of life by treating those things as luxuries. I started by upgrading my office supplies, but have since over the years carried it over to other disposables.  I bought some nice note cards and stationary sets to send actual letters on occasion instead of e-mail. I have traded in some of the spiral notebooks I have continued to keep year after year for journals. I decorated many of my planners and idea books. I even upgraded file folders and other systems and containers to specifically add to my decor.  There are many other examples of ways I have over time upgraded a few disposables, but I do not want you running out to the store just because I mentioned it.

I suggest you start looking at disposables that you could upgrade to enliven your mood.  Now, do not go crazy and spend a fortune. You will waste not only money but a lot of space and products if you just go out and buy up a whole product line just because you like the way it looks. Really pay attention to the tried and true items that you have used consistently for a very long time.

For each one, is it something that will forever go unnoticed, or could dressing it up just a bit make a small difference to your day? The next time you need to replace one of the items you are thinking of upgrading instead of comandeering it from your kids or buying the least expense option, look for some of the things available.

Then Make Sure To Share Your Ideas!

Let us know what ideas come to your mind. I know you’ll have a ton of ideas I haven’t thought of yet. Let the rest of us know! Share the good experiences, the down side, and anything else you are thinking of trying.

As always, when we get conversations going in the comments, we all learn from one another!