http://www.balancesf.com/ee/index.php en frans@tierratechnology.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-17T17:00:20+00:00 /site/day_26_business_clutter_clearing_-_start_at_the_mail_box/ /site/day_26_business_clutter_clearing_-_start_at_the_mail_box/#When:17:00:20Z Each former employee still receiving bulk mail can cost your company $18...and a tree. For businesses large and small, here's a planet-friendly tip: stop receiving mail meant for former employees by visiting the Ecological Mail Coalition. For every former employee entered into the site's database, a company will avoid 100 pounds of waste in undeliverable mail. That's equivalent to one tree! Since the estimate is that one former employee's bulk mail costs your business $18 or more, it's another win-win! Business, SavePlanetin60, Office, show in home 2012-05-17T17:00:20+00:00 /site/day_25_the_symbiosis_of_zine_clutter_clearing/ /site/day_25_the_symbiosis_of_zine_clutter_clearing/#When:04:12:57Z Piles of magazines are a perfect example of the symbiosis of sustainability and organization...ideas to eliminate the backlog and save the trees!Piles of magazines are a perfect example of the symbiosis of sustainability and organization. To be sure, symbiosis, defined:sym·bi·o·sis - noun - 1: the living together in more or less intimate association or close union of two dissimilar organisms; especially : mutualism2: a cooperative relationship (as between two persons or groups) In reference to piles of old magazine subscriptions, by minimizing the magazines you read to those that you can consume in a timely fashion, you eliminate both the annoying clutter that clogs up your space and the need to fell trees - a planet hardship; the natural symbiosis of living a sustainable and organized life. So for the planet's sake, consider your situation with magazines. I was at my local library and they were selling bundles of magazines for $1.00. What a great way to get rid of your piles of magazines - the library will reuse them. Besides the library, other places who may want your magazines include a doctor’s office, hospital or laundromat; a residential home or hospice; and schools, for children’s art projects or class work. You might even find a bookstore that will credit or pay a pittance for them. Save another bunch of trees by cutting back on the number of subscriptions you have to just those you love and can actually read in the short term. (Don't forget, magazines have a short shelf life)  Read on, but not so it hurts! Stay with us for more ideas on How to Get Organized and Save the Planet in 60 Days - One simple tip a day to help you live organized and sustainable. SavePlanetin60, Green, Home, Office, show in home 2012-05-17T04:12:57+00:00 /site/get_organized_save_planet_in_60_day_24_options_to_scrap_your_high_tech_clut/ /site/get_organized_save_planet_in_60_day_24_options_to_scrap_your_high_tech_clut/#When:19:57:32Z If you have an old laptop or mobile phone clogging up a corner of your office, here are a bevy of options to clean up and clear out your eWaste.Three for Tuesday - a 3-part tip on letting go of your old tech gear at last! What to with all your old technology...? I find most people are reluctant to donate or discard computers, cell phones, hard drives and other data devices for fear that someone will get access to your confidential information. That is a valid fear. Data theft is actually pretty easy for a reasonably savvy scoundrel. Yet, once it's clean, it's pretty easy to eliminate this gear responsibly, thoughtfully or even profitably! Part 1: Erasing the confidential dataHere’s a great video from PC World that guides you through several options to completely erase your hard drive, including the sledgehammer approach!For mobile phone data, there are companies who would like to recycle, reconstruct and resell your old cell phone. As a service, they provide details on how to clear it for just about any mobile phone. Pace Butler’s Data Erase PageSecure Trade-in's Data Erase Page Part 2: How to eliminate Tech Gear, the charity route…There are likely several options for eliminating your tech gear right around the corner from your home. Most are run by non-profit organizations looking to fund raise. Making a quick phone call to your neighborhood school or community organization may be all you need to do to find out when the next technology drop-off day will be right in your hood! Here are a few resources for you as well: The Consumer Electronics Association sponsors a Recycle Electronics locator service. (While visiting there, you might also find the Energy Calculator interesting, to find out how much in energy dollars your electronics are costing you monthly and annually.) If you have working products to donate and want to be sure they go to a non-profit who can use them, Christina.org will take care of you. Just let them know what you have and where you are and they'll hook you up! Find a location here to take your Sony electronic products Check out your nearby Office Depot Store, Staples or Electronics Store as most of them have a recycle program to offer. Part 3: How to eliminate Tech Gear, the money route…If you're short on funds and would like some money for your tech gear, you can always try to sell it on ebay.com or craigslist, but for the fastest route, I <3 Gazelle.com, who will give you a quote for your working tech gear. Check out my previous blog post for more Gazelle.com details. Thanks for staying tuned to How to Get Organized and Save the Planet in 60 Days – daily tips, inspiration, and food for thought on living sustainable and organized. Improving our planet and your life, brick by brick: “I avoid grandiose plans.  I start with a small piece that I can do.  I go to the root of the problem and then work around it.  It's building brick by brick.”  Muhammad Yunus Business, SavePlanetin60, Green, Office, show in home 2012-05-15T19:57:32+00:00 /site/day_20_clutter_hunger/ /site/day_20_clutter_hunger/#When:23:36:30Z TGIF clutter wisdom to inspire clearing some clutter this weekend!"We excel at making a living but often fail at making a life. We celebrate our prosperity but yearn for purpose. We cherish our freedoms but long for connection. In an age of plenty, we feel spiritual hunger." ...and this is the American Paradox, according to David Myers. Once again, it's not about the stuff. And I have seen it many times before for my clients. Once you start letting of clutter, you make space for amazing things to come in to your life. De-clutter this weekend and find some purpose and a connection.   SavePlanetin60, Green, Life, show in home 2012-05-11T23:36:30+00:00 /site/day_19_manifest_a_greater_future_for_your_plastic_clutter/ /site/day_19_manifest_a_greater_future_for_your_plastic_clutter/#When:22:08:13Z The future of plastic - keep it out of our oceans! A light but tough lesson on the enviromental impact of plastic..Mr. McGuire: I just want to say one word to you – just one word.Ben: Yes sir.Mr. McGuire: Are you listening? Ben: Yes I am.Mr. McGuire: ‘Plastics.’Ben: Exactly how do you mean?Mr. McGuire: There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?Ben: Yes I will.Mr. McGuire: Shh! Enough said. That’s a deal. However, years later, Mr. McGuire might have been referring to the fact that plastic takes practically forever to go away! Petroleum-based plastics are non-biodegradable and are accumulating in our oceans, and in the bellies of birds and fish. Most of its coming from us, not from ships or the fishing industry. It's coming from land and washing down our water sheds. What to do? Minimize your plastic purchasing and reuse plastic whenever and however you can. Give it a useful future. P.S. Was Mr. Maguire the first person to say Enough Said? Anyway, plastic = bad. Enough said. Please hang with us for 41 more days of How to Get Organized and Save the Planet in 60 Days - small sustainabilityideas to get you organized! SavePlanetin60, Green, Life, show in home 2012-05-10T22:08:13+00:00 /site/how_to_get_organized_and_save_the_planet_in_60_days_day_18_dont_sweat_the_s/ /site/how_to_get_organized_and_save_the_planet_in_60_days_day_18_dont_sweat_the_s/#When:18:58:09Z When it comes to recycling your paper, don't worry about the staples, paper clips and such.. just recycle freely.Don’t sweat the small stuff when recycling your paper, meaning the sticky notes, staples and such. In the paper recycling process, it all gets put into a big vat and pureed into a pulp "smoothie" where the random paper clip, staple or the sticky note glue substances get separated out. So recycle freely! Business, SavePlanetin60, Green, Office, show in home 2012-05-09T18:58:09+00:00 /site/day_16_17_-_your_unorganized_office_could_be_a_teachers_paradise/ /site/day_16_17_-_your_unorganized_office_could_be_a_teachers_paradise/#When:21:58:02Z Start by organizing your office supplies and donate your overstock to a Teacher. Another win-win for you and the planet! Two Tip Tuesday! Part 2. In most offices that I have organized, a portion of the clutter is always office supplies. We gather tools of all kinds to support ourselves in our daily work, yet, since things changes constantly, there may no longer be a use for much of the office supplies you have gathered over the years to be productive. Meanwhile, most school teachers, already underpaid, are faced with shrinking budgets and forced to forage on their own for tools, school supplies and craft projects. Put things back in balance by sorting and boxing up office supply overstock and donate it to your local school. During the school day, just walk in with a box of it. This simple act will make you feel so good to when you see how grateful they are to get your clutter! If stopping at a school is not convenient, here are some alternatives:Do Something.org - who partners with Staples each year for a school supply driveDonorsChoose.org - where you can choose a project based on a topic that interests youAdopt A Classroom - who matches donors with a classroom in need of supplies A bonus to this planet-friendly tip is that if you take the time to gather, sort and edit/purge your office supplies, it will make an impact in organizing your office. The process will make the space to move forward in organizing the other key area of office clutter - paper and files. Thanks for joining us for How to Get Organized and Save the Planet in 60 Days - practical tips, inspiration, and food for thought daily on living sustainable and organized. Business, SavePlanetin60, Green, Office, show in home 2012-05-08T21:58:02+00:00 /site/day_14_15_-_crayon_clutter/ /site/day_14_15_-_crayon_clutter/#When:16:56:17Z ...there is a place to donate your used crayons. Check it! Two-tip Tuesday!  Part 1. We took the weekend off so we're giving you two tips today... Tip 1: Have you got crayon clutter? Are the "kids" using them anymore? If your household is in the teen years plus, there is a place to donate your used crayons. Check it! You can recycle them at www.crazycrayons.com. Crazy Crayons estimates that 12 Million "petroleum-based wax" crayons end up in our landfills every day, so they take unwanted, broken crayons and recycle them into new crayons and firestarters. Fun recycled crayon products that are great gift ideas. Stay tuned for more How to Get Organized and Save the Planet in 60 Days - simple, sustainable daily tips that get you organized too! Many people taking one small step at a time for personal and planet BALANCE. SavePlanetin60, Green, Home, show in home 2012-05-08T16:56:17+00:00 /site/day_13_plastic_bag_clutter/ /site/day_13_plastic_bag_clutter/#When:19:11:25Z Easy ways to remember your plastic bag alternative!Plastic bags are a blight on the planet. But don't take my word for it. The facts are in this article at Livestrong.com or check out this video to sort it out for you. I expect the number is decreasing, but according to a recent estimate, Americans use one trillion plastic shopping bags each year. By now, most of us have a plastic bag alternative. The problem now seems to be remembering to take it with you when you go to the grocery store! Here are two simple options: If you drive to the store, keep reusable or recycle shopping bags in your car, so they will be active and ready to serve you on your next grocery run. If you walk to the store, install a hook or a nail near the exit door and hang them there.. again, ready and waiting to serve you. Thanks for staying tuned to How to Get Organized and Save the Planet in 60 Days. One simple sustainable organizing tip at a time.   SavePlanetin60, Green, Home, show in home 2012-05-04T19:11:25+00:00 /site/reduce_reuse_recycle..._clutter-free_philosophy/ /site/reduce_reuse_recycle..._clutter-free_philosophy/#When:20:44:23Z ...the reduce, reuse, recycle principle — in that order — is simply a way to live by producing less waste..and ultimately, less clutter.As a Professional Organizer, you see a lot of bins. What I mean is, by the time my clients call me, they have attempted to organize on their own many times and often start by going to the store and buying containers and bins, or a new shelf unit, or a closet system. We learn, as Professional Organizers, to reuse containers. During engagements, we always end up with a "container" area, and it is the one thing I make sure my clients don't purge or edit from their collection. Bins and containers of any kind, from the old tupperware containers to a shelf-extenders and wall hooks, it will likely be useful somewhere along the line as we organize. This is why I live fully with the 3 R's in my practice, especially the middle one. Reuse or as we call it, re-purpose, your stuff whenever you can. "Commonly known as the three Rs, the reduce, reuse, recycle principle — in that order — is simply a way to live by producing less waste. You can have a major impact on the amount of trash that ends up in the landfills simply by changing your habits about buying, using and discarding your stuff.  Here are a few of the thousands of ways you can reuse your stuff:- use reusable containers- maintain and repair products before buying new ones- participate in your local recycling program and if you must buy,- buy products made from recycled materials- buy products that are less toxic or contain less packaging Live the 3 R's, in that order!" [N. Castelli Excerpt from Get Organized Today] Happy Thursday to you. It's cool and raining a little in San Francisco.   SavePlanetin60, Green, Life, show in home 2012-05-03T20:44:23+00:00