I find Zero Waste Week difficult to join in with, mainly ( without wanting to sound big headed) because we already do so much - so I am decluttering my study this week.
This is actually a HUGE job, as our study contains both Compostman's and my work spaces, as well as a load of books of ours on technical subjects ranging from child care, teaching, nuclear physics, advanced level Maths, environmental games, metallurgy, woodworking, racing car design, aromatherapy, anatomy, paper making, JCB maintenance...you name it and we probably have a book about it!
I also have a load of stores in the Study for recycled crafts, environmental games and my community artist work - which are all probably going to be kept, but which need sorting out so they are actually accessible rather than buried behind a pile of tottering A4 folders...
Add to this a huge pile of paperwork dealing with running the rather ramshackle and complicated Edwardian house we live in with its woodland and garden AND my environmental education work - and you can imagine the paperwork mountain I have to sort through - and as I am a natural hoarder ( and so is Compost man, truth be told!) there is always a lot to sort out, recycle and compost!
So, in the Study I pledge I will sort through and file/rearrange properly or remove stuff (to recycling bins as required) and re arrange so I can actually see and therefore use the remaining stuff properly. I will also try to get Compost man to do the same on his side of the room!
I also pledge to be emptying out the guest bedroom ready for major re refurbishment (
new floor/windows/dry lining etc ) so there will be a lot of sorting out and a lot of stuff going to friends/ reuse/charity/
Free cycle/ and as last resort the recycling bins.
I have also decided to sort out the Poly tunnel and the Barn. Gulp.
The Poly tunnel is not just a growing space but also acts as my garden shed - and as we have just had to remove the tomato plants a month or more early ( due to blight) it seems a good time to have the clear out I usually have on New Year Day ...! Of pots and trays and old seed packets and , well, all sorts.
The Barn - well it does tend to get used as a dumping ground - the outside equivalent of the "Spare Bedroom" if you will...So lots of empty, old, "waiting to find a use" ( but actually we have 10 of them, already so they are not useful!) 5 Kg feed buckets. And poly bags which had 20 Kg Aubiose in, also endless sheets of bubble wrap which we keep " just in case" except NO ONE could EVER use the amount we have stored!
So - I suspect I will be making many trips to the HWS ( when I was going shopping in Ledbury, anyway!) and a lot of Free cycle posts are going to be in order to offer the bubble wrap and the buckets.
I have taken "before" posts and I WILL be posting "after" posts - honest!
Just reading your post made me feel a little tired! (But, also a little bit motivated to sort out some of my messy spaces as well) :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are a seriously motivated woman. Well done.
ReplyDeleteWe started early, last week in fact with our final car boot sale and donating lots of things to the local charity shop. The recycling bins are filling niceley as I work my way around the house and up to now there is absolutely ZERO in our black wheelie bin.
Fingers crossed we can keep it this way.
But like you we very rarely fill our bin and we recycle, reuse and repurpose most of our 'rubbish'.
I have been ruthless with lots of my unwanted things and sold them off or donated them, so I don't have that much left to do....unless you have a look in the shed.....maybe I should round the week off with a clear out of my outside space!!
Sue xx