What to Buy: To Be More Eco-Conscious at Home

As we’ve mentioned, the process of decluttering brings up a lot of clutter and trash. We and our clients make a concerted effort to donate and recycle everything that we can but, regardless of those efforts, it makes us think and realize that impact all of us and all of our stuff has on the environment. This then made us think about changes we could make at home and here are some of the things that we can’t wait to check out.

Reusable Straws (Amazon)

This is an easy choice for us to make since we aren’t huge fans of paper straws that disintegrate when left in drinks too long. 

Washable Rounds (Amazon)

In lieu of landfill clogging cotton pads, we started looking for a washable alternative and found these recommended by one of our favorites, Sara of Mercer + Green. 

Makeup Remover Towel (Sephora)

This product has totally changed our makeup removing routine and its definitely more environmentally friendly. This cloth lasts for up to 1,000 machine washes – which is between 3 and 5 years. Thanks, Things I Bought and Liked!

Reusable Dishcloths (Amazon)

In an effort to wean ourselves off of paper towels, we started using these reusable dish cloths that can be used to wipe up spills and clean and they are can be cleaned in the dishwasher or washing machine. A fun alternative if you prefer puns can be found here on Etsy. 

Reusable Storage Bags (Stashers)

These dishwasher and microwave safe platinum-silicone storage bags come in sizes suited for storing everything and are a great way to start going plastic-free at home. We are trying out the multi-pack and so far, so good!

Cloth Bowl Covers (Wild Minimalist)

These cloth dish covers eliminate the need for plastic wrap. You can use them for covering a meal in the fridge or if you are on the way to a dinner party.  

Produce Bags (Wild Minimalist)

We love the idea of shopping the produce section at the market without having to use the plastic bags. Over the years, we have been better about just putting the items loose in the shopping cart but there are some items that need to be contained. These net bags are perfect and lightweight for traveling back and forth the store or farmer’s market. 

Where to Sell Your Stuff

Clients often ask us where they can sell the clothing and other items that they want to get rid of in their home. We have a few standby places but we wanted to look into this topic a little more and get a sense of the larger landscape. If you are looking to sell some items around your house, read on and let us know if your favorite place isn’t on the list.

Happy Organizing! 

MARKETPLACES

Tradesy: Sell your designer bags, shoes, clothing, or accessories on this site and ship it with a free kit from the site once it sells. They deduct a flat commission fee of $7.50 for sold items less than $50 and a commission rate of 19.8% on sold items $50 or more. 

Poshmark: List your clothing, shoes, bags, accessories and other items on this site. Once your item sells, you can ship it with a free pre-paid, pre-addressed label and drop it off at a local USPS mailbox or post office. For all sales under $15, Poshmark takes a flat commission of $2.95. For sales of $15 or more, you keep 80% of your sale and Poshmark's commission is 20%. 

CONSIGNMENT: Fashion & Jewelry

Luxury Garage Sale: They accept new, pre-owned and vintage pieces for women, including luxury designer handbags, clothing, shoes, jewelry and other accessories in very good to new condition. Click here more information on their commission structure.

Fashionphile: Submit the item you would like to sell and they will email you a price quote. If you accept, they will send you a complimentary shipping label to send them the item. Their base fee is 30% of the selling price (you keep 70%), but for bags selling for over $3,000 the tiered fee structure drops to only 15% (you keep 85% of the portion of the selling price above $3,000).

CONSIGNMENT: Fashion, Jewelry & Home

The RealReal: Consign home décor, art and designer bags, shoes, clothing, or accessories on this site and earn up to 85% of the sale price for your items. 

Linda’s Stuff: Consign designer bags, shoes, clothing, or accessories and receive payment for up to 80% of each item sold. 

Verstiaire Collective: A global marketplace for pre-owned luxury and designer fashion and home goods that allows you to earn up to 75% back on the purchase price of items you no longer use. 

MARKETPLACE + CONSIGNMENT: Furniture & Home Décor

Kaiyo: Submit your furniture to the site and if accepted they will handle the rest. Learn more about the process here. 

AptDeco: This is a great option for buying and selling furniture in the NYC metro area. List your item and after you sell your furniture on the site, you can schedule pick-up/delivery through their system so that a professional delivery team can take care of it. 

If you are looking for more stories on donation and recycling resources, check out our other stories – Our Favorite NYC Donation Locations, Where to Recycle Your Clothing & Shoes, Where to Recycle Your Technology.