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1. A copy of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up because the first step to a truly decluttered space is actually getting rid of stuff — and this will show you how.
I mean yes, you can also totally watch the Netflix show an learn everything you need to know to get started! But the book's packed with extra motivation and tips. (Although I don't think it's the end-all be-all of how to live, I've used her system for my clothes and shoes, and it really does work.)
Promising review: "It's soaked with knowledge and super inspiring! As a chronically messy person, this book completely changed my perspective on 'tidying,' what to throw away or get rid of, and how to find joy in your space again, how to reclaim it! Honestly pretty awakening, and I think absolutely everyone could learn something from it." —
rainydayshopping
Get it from Amazon for
$10.45, Barnes & Noble for
$10.58,
Indiebound, or find a copy at your
local library.
(If the whole system seems a little — or very — impractical to you, though, I also recommend Rachel Hoffman's
Unf*ck Your Habitat,
$15.29 on Amazon).
2. A Zero-Waste Box from Terracycle, where you (or you + your neighbors, or high school, or dorm) team up to buy a box that you then stuff with hard-to-recycle items, and mail back to Terracycle to be recycled.
Yes, basically you're paying for your stuff to be recycled (the reason your curbside collection doesn't take all of the things = recyclers want to
make money. If they can't make money on it, then you have to pay for it to happen). Read more on
Terracycle, and order a small "everything" box (well, almost everything) for
$184, or a beauty products and packaging pouch for
$41.
There are also tons of
free recycling programs through Terracycle, where the companies pay for you to recycle the stuff you bought from them (that your municipal program won't accept). And these aren't only hippie/earthy brands! They include
Colgate,
eos,
Febreeze, Flonase, Hasbro Toys, and many others.