A Quick Tip to Purge and Recycle At The Same Time

How Many Shopping Bags Are Lurking Around The House?

Busted, right? Few of us can simply toss (as in straight to the trash) those nice paper shopping bags we get when we are buying new items. Our mindset says “why should we when they fold so compactly” and surely we will reuse these! Really? Here’s a quick way to use these bags, AND do mini purges at the same time.

Even Organized Clutter is Clutter!

In reality, this is what we all end up with, even if we are neat and orderly, a stash of cute bags. Must be the staw handles that grab us! To be honest, for every 10 bags we save, we might recycle one by passing on a culinary creation or at gift time.

One In One Out Shopping Bag Approach

A few posts back, we talked about how home offices have evolved and shared items found to purge during a quick refresh. It’s kinda the theory of the chicken or the egg…what came first. For those of us who have developed the habit of one in one out, we know a handled shopping bag is the perfect vessel to drop off goodies to be recycled for someone else to treasure. Therefore, a new clothing purchase spawned a new bag. Most times, I am very good about swapping an older piece of clothing for a new one with this one in one out lifestyle, however, this time the office cabinet needed cleaning out, and the Chico’s bag was handy.

How and Where To Drop Purged Items

There are so many places to donate goods we no longer want, and items we no longer want to take care of. Ah, see, might be more things around the house to purge when we think in these terms, right? Placing these now full shopping bags directly in the front seat of the car keeps the task keenly in sight and ready for a drop-off at the donation center of your choice. Think outside of the box a bit and drop at a daycare center for school supplies and craft items, shelters for personal items like soaps and shampoos, and animal societies for cleaning products and towels/blankets. Know a teacher? Ask them what items they might like to have on hand for any student with a need. Once the habit forms, opportunities will present themselves!

Leave us a comment, or let us know you “like” the content and photos we share. Got an idea for a post, or a question? We’d love to hear!