Mindful decluttering

Decluttering (when done right) is actually good for the planet. Decluttering is not good for the planet if everything that is being decluttered ends up at the nearest landfill site, regardless of its condition and usability.

Decluttering is good when we try our best to find new homes for the things we no longer need, repurpose and repair what we can, and recycle the rest. It’s good for the planet because it frees up existing resources and reduces the demand for the extraction of raw materials and the manufacture of new products.

Humans use a lot of resources. We use more resources than we have, or rather we are using them faster than they can be renewed. The Global Footprint Network calculates Earth Overshoot Day each year to mark the date when our demand for ecological resources and services exceeds what