Every spring, many of us open the windows, pull out the cleaning supplies, and start clearing out closets and garages. But what if your spring cleaning could do more than tidy up your home? It can also help protect the climate. The things we throw away—and the new things we buy to replace them—create carbon pollution through manufacturing, packaging, and transportation. The good news is that a few simple choices while you declutter can reduce waste, save money, and shrink your carbon footprint right here in Alameda.
[1]When you are clearing out the garage, basement, and closets, think about giving the items you are discarding a new life. If the item is in disrepair, can you mend it and continue to use it? Holes in socks can be darned, and rips in clothes can be resown fairly easily if the rip occurs along a seam. Superglue can fix many broken items. Sharpen kitchen knives and gardening tools to extend their lifetime. Challenge yourself to send nothing to the landfill.
For items beyond repair, you can find where to recycle them by entering the type of item and your zip code at StopWaste [3]. If you no longer need the item, you can make some extra cash by selling it on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or Craigslist. If you are in a more generous mood, you can gift items on Alameda Freecycle [4] or Buy Nothing Alameda [5] (Facebook) to give it to a fellow Alamedan looking for just your item. Thrift stores such as the Thrifty Kitty [6], which benefits Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter, appreciate donations.
Paper clutter can stack pretty high and can be intimidating to tackle. For private documents, shred them, then put the shredded paper in a sealed paper bag and place it in the blue recycling bin along with all of your no-longer-needed paper documents and mail. Cut down on paper clutter by stopping catalogs from shipping to your home in the first place. Call their 800 number and ask them to remove you from their list. Going forward, also consider buying recycled paper for your printing needs.
[7]Spring cleaning doesn’t require all kinds of harmful chemicals. Save money and keep your house chemical-free by making your own cleaners. For a safe and effective cleaner for countertops, windows, and kitchen appliances, use equal parts of white vinegar and water in a labeled spray bottle (mix well). Do not use this mixture on marble or granite surfaces, as vinegar can damage them. For a scouring product, mix three parts baking soda and one part water to form a paste. Then, after use, rinse well. Use old rags or dishcloths instead of paper towels and save even more money, while protecting trees.
Remember, spring cleaning doesn’t have to mean filling up the garbage can. By repairing what we have, donating or selling items we no longer need, recycling responsibly, and choosing reusable products, we can keep valuable materials out of landfills and reduce the carbon pollution that comes from making new things. Small actions like these may seem simple, but when thousands of households take them, the impact adds up. This spring, as you clear out closets and tidy up your home, consider it an opportunity to also do a little cleaning for the planet as well.
Joyce Mercado is the author of Save the Planet in Your Spare Time: A Climate Protection Handbook for the Busy Person, a member of Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA), and President of the Rotary Club of Alameda. Her columns are collected at alamedapost.com/Joyce-Mercado [8]. She can be reached at [email protected] [9].