Clutter crisis: The one item Australians can’t throw away
We could all do with a little clutter buster session in our homes but do we have a bigger problem with collecting stuff than we realise?
According to the Choosi Clutter Report, Australians across the board confess to having unwanted or unused possessions – collectively we have an estimated $60 billion worth of items in our homes that we simply don’t use – with the average home sitting on over $6,600 worth alone.
We buy too much stuff and we know it.
It’s not only shopaholics though - whilst half of it is simply an attachment to materialism itself, nearly 40% of this stuff holds some meaning.
Take heart, there are some things we can do to not only get rid of unwanted belongings and tidy up our lives, but also help others in need – surely the antithesis of our self-indulgence?
Top 5 ways to declutter
1. Giving stuff to charity
2. Throwing stuff away
3. Being disciplined about accumulating stuff
4. Selling or swapping stuff
5. Storage solutions
Organise your office
A great place to start at this time of year when you’re clearing the decks for a relaxing break is your home office. A clean work space can pave the way to better performance, creativity and far more productivity and there’s an art to this aesthetic.
If you're hanging onto your first smartphone, even though it is broken, you're not alone - there are 5 million old unused handsets around Australia ready to be recycled.
Make a difference as you declutter
According to Mobile Muster, there are almost 5 million old mobile phones in homes that are no longer working, along with chargers, accessories and the paraphernalia that goes along with them.
This Christmas, not-for-profit waste organisations MobileMuster and OzHarvest have teamed up to encourage Australians to clean out that junk drawer, with the Mobile for a Meal program, where any old mobiles that you find can be recycled and a meal will go to someone in need.
It’s simple:
1. Go to www.mobilemuster.org.au and find your nearest place to recycle
2. Drop off your mobile along with any chargers and accessories into the MobileMuster recycling unit
3. Or download a reply-paid label from the MobileMuster website and post it back for free
4. Just make sure you recycle before the end of February 2018 to be a part of Mobile for a Meal
