The saying ‘If it hasn’t been worn/used for a year, get rid of it’ is a thing of the past. People are becoming more environmentally aware about landfill and waste issues, so it makes sense to think about how something can be repurposed rather than thrown away.

The beginning of spring is the perfect time to reorganise and clean your home. When you get in the ‘zone’, it is tempting to be ruthless and throw everything away, but the following advice will help you rethink what to keep, recycle, or throw away:

Sort into three piles

The best way to spring clean your wardrobe properly is to take out all your clothes and sort them into three piles:

2. Great condition but you’ve had your wear ─ For the ones that are in great condition, but you have had your wear out of them (or maybe they don’t fit quite the same as they once did), take them to a clothes swap or a charity. Clothes swaps are fun and a great way to make your trash someone else’s treasure; and you might even find some treasures to restock your wardrobe. Organics for Poverty is holding a fashion swap in Brisbane on the 6^th of October. Click here for details.

3. Torn/stained/unwearable ─ If it’s unwearable, then the local charity shop probably won’t accept it either. Rather than adding to landfill, see if you can salvage sections of material to make a scarf, cloth bag, or rags for cleaning. 

Smell it

Ever wondered what the little illustration of a container with an open lid is on cosmetic products? The number on it indicates the shelf life of the product once opened. If you’re not sure when you bought the product, try smelling it. Many commercial products contain a lot of chemicals to preserve the life of the product for longer, and they are often heavily perfumed to mask any ‘stale’ smells. Organic and natural products, on the other hand, will start to smell old when they have past their best before date. Liquid products should definitely be discarded if they are well past their expiry. However, many powders can be repurposed. For example, the leftover particles of face powder can be mixed with your favourite face cream for a tinted moisturiser. Or try doing the same thing with a facial sunscreen for an extra bit of colour coverage. And don’t be in a hurry to throw away old blush powder. You can make yourself a new tinted lip gloss by mixing the blush with clear lip balm.

Treat your legs

We’ve all bought shampoo and conditioner our hair didn’t love, but there’s no need to throw it away. Conditioner makes for an excellent shaving cream, and it also makes the skin on your legs oh-so-silky smooth. And the shampoo? Use it up as a shower gel!