Finder’s Fi Eco-friendly decluttering

Marie Kondo’s Netflix series is inspiring millions to get organised, but how eco-friendly are her methods?

Only Marie Kondo could inspire a vintage hoarder like me to tidy up – the Japanese decluttering queen and author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up is trending again, thanks to the release of her Netflix series,

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.

After witnessing the #tidyingup frenzy on Instagram, I watched the first episode of the show and was inspired to sort out my towering cookbook stash and overflowing bathroom cabinet. I didn’t follow all the rules of Marie’s trademarked KonMari method (such as decluttering the whole house at once, tidying by category rather than location and thanking items for their service before discarding them), but I did keep only the items that “spark joy”, the best-known step in her tidying process.

The good thing about Marie’s method is there’s no way to argue with this particular directive – either something sparks joy and you keep it, or it doesn’t and it’s gone. I found it easier to discard things than with previous decluttering systems I had tried, such as questioning whether an item is useful, beautiful or irreplaceable.

Unfortunately, though, I ended up returning half of my ‘discard’ pile to the shelf. Does a half-used bottle of sunscreen spark joy? No. Would it be a waste of money and resources to throw it away? Yes. And although I haven’t made it to my wardrobe yet, I know I’ll have similar qualms there. My old fitness gear doesn’t spark joy, but I don’t believe in buying a new set of activewear when my current shorts and tees are still fighting fit.

A lot of articles have popped up online addressing the fact that Marie’s books and Netflix series don’t do enough to tackle the issue of consumption. The KonMari method doesn’t stop people from going out and buying more items that spark joy after decluttering, or encourage them to question where their discarded items go. Although there is an element of mindful consumption to Marie’s work, it’s not the key message.

When you try to buy most things secondhand, as I do, items don’t always spark joy (although sometimes they spark insane amounts – a rare Crown Lynn jug, for example). But what practical items lack in joy, they make up for in affordability and eco-friendliness. Not only does shopping secondhand prevent items going to landfill, it reduces the environmental impact of making and shipping new goods.

When you’re next decluttering – whether inspired by Marie Kondo or Your Home

and Garden’s #clutterfreefeb campaign – take a moment to think about where your discarded items are going. Can any of them be repurposed, gifted, mended or donated? If you are donating items, ensure they are clean and in good condition (and fragile items are wrapped) to save charities having to pay to send unsaleable items to landfill. Be sure to check that the charity in question can take your items, and don’t just leave them outside a store or beside a clothing bin.

If something no longer sparks joy for you and you need to replace it, consider buying secondhand or choose something new that will last, so you don’t have to repeat the decluttering process for quite some time.

On a slightly different tangent, if collecting vintage objects sparks joy for you, this could be the perfect time to hit the op-shops. Strike while the decluttering craze is hot and you may score some great finds! Minimalism might not be your style, and that’s okay too.