[PRACTICE] The Life-Changing Magic of Sustainability

"The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one's hand and ask: 'Does this spark joy?' If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it. This is not only the simplest but also the most accurate yardstick by which to judge." - Marie Kondō

Marie-Kondo [mah-ri-khon-doe]  verb, -kondoed, -kondoing to dispose things in your life if they do not spark joy.  I'm gonna Marie-Kondo my closet today.  I Marie-Kondoed that guy I was talking to. He no longer sparks joy. 

Marie Kondo is now widely used as a verb, since her Netflix show "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo" launched beginning of this year.

The concept Marie Kondo brought to us is nothing super new. Her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo was released in 2014. Minimalism has been a trending interior ideas and/or life style for about a decade now. Concepts and ideas come and go all the time, but the discourse that Marie Kondo introduced are worth carrying on.

"The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one's hand and ask 'does this spark joy?' If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it."

I want to take one step further. I'll keep things that spark joy and dispose things that no longer spark joy to me and do that SUSTAINABLY. My junks can potentially spark joy to others or get disposed properly, so that they don't sit in a pile of other junks.

HERE'S HOW I MARIE-KONDO SUSTAINABLY!

Wands for Wildlife 

This is a perfect recycle program for make-up lovers, ran by Appalachian Wildlife Refuge. Old and used mascara wands are helpful in removing fly eggs and larva from the furry wild animals! Collect your used wands, fill out the form attached on their website, and ship them to headquarter in North Carolina. Let your mascara do more than illuminating your lashes! Adorable photo for you to visualize what YOU can do to help lives. 

Blue Jeans Go Green This is my absolute favorite program I had been participating for 7 years now. Blue Jeans Go Green is a denim recycling program, where your denim clothing turn into insulation, used to build homes. I was delighted when Madewell clothing store partnered with this amazing organization, not only encouraging people to donate jeans by handing out $20 discount coupons per jeans donated, but also making donation so easily accessible! They do not have to be "jeans" but any kind of denim clothing. I'm sure you have some denim that no longer sparks joy in you..!   

Soles4Souls & JackRabbits We are so privileged for having multiple pairs of shoes because there are so many people with no shoes to wear. Soles4Souls organization take shoe donations and distribute them to those in need all over the world, including Haiti, Honduras and Kenya. JackRabbit stores also take worn-out sneakers and take them to MORE (Modular Organic Regenerative Environment) Foundation. MORE sends the shoes to African vendors, who will sell the shoes for much cheaper prices and use the proceeds to provide training and tools to poor rural farmers.  

Bookmooch & local bookstores I am a major e-book user and got used to reading my books on my iPad over the years. If you are paperback/hardcover lovers, however, and have books that you no longer want stacked in your apartment, there are so many ways to give them away! Local independent bookstores will most definitely take used books. I've bought used books at cheaper prices when electronic versions were not available. If you are looking to share your sexy readings globally, check out Bookmooch! Bookmooch is a community for exchanging used books. Give away one book, earn one point, and get another book with that point! If you don't want to receive books, you are welcome to use your points to donate to charities associated with Bookmooch. There is nothing better than sharing literature.

For Other Stuff from Your Closet.. There are so many places to give away, sell, exchange your fashion stuff offline and online! Where you choose to give them away would totally depend on what you are giving away, conditions of the products, and your values. I mostly donate my stuff to Goodwill since they are very accessible to me in New York City. I've sold more expensive products that are in decent conditions through Poshmark, a commerce marketplace easily accessible on your smartphone. Poshmark was founded by a woman and run by many talented women, which was an important factor for me. The RealReal, ThredUp, Buffalo Exchange are a few other large platforms where you can sell your goods, exchange them, and even purchase goodies that spark joy!

Happy Marie-Kondoing!