Spring Cleaning with Less Waste
Submitted By: Randi Alexander
Each spring, as the days grow longer and sunlight finally returns to our homes after a long Chicago winter, many of us feel the urge to open the windows, clear the clutter and start fresh. Spring cleaning has long been a seasonal ritual, offering a chance to reset our homes and routines for the season ahead.
But spring cleaning can also be an opportunity to rethink what we bring into our homes and what we do with the things we no longer need.
Many people know the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Sustainability advocates often expand that idea into the five R’s: refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle, which create a simple hierarchy for minimizing waste. Recycling still matters, but the goal is to work through the other steps first so that less waste is created in the first place. Another concept I would add that fits naturally into this framework is refill, which helps extend the life of packaging we already have.
The first step is refuse. This means saying no to items we don’t truly need, especially single-use products or unnecessary packaging. Refusing might look like skipping a free promotional item, declining an extra bag at checkout and choosing to avoid takeout when possible. These choices prevent waste before it ever enters our homes.
Next comes reduce, which focuses on being more intentional about what we bring into our homes. During spring cleaning, many of us are faced with bags and boxes of things heading to donation centers, but not everything donated can be resold. One way to think about reducing waste is to ask how we can avoid adding more to that pile in the future. Purchasing fewer items, choosing products that last longer and selecting items designed to be reused can all make a meaningful difference. Even small habits, like composting food scraps and donating clean vessels to our shop during a refrigerator clean-out, can keep waste out of the landfill.
The next step is reuse. Many items we might instinctively toss still have plenty of life left in them. Clothing, housewares, books and small appliances can often be donated, repaired or shared with neighbors. Repair workshops, “Buy Nothing” groups and local community pages are great places to help items find a second life.
Sometimes reuse simply means connecting items with the right person. Things that might look like trash to you can often be repurposed for crafts or projects by others at organizations like Creative Reuse Exchange and The Waste Shed, both dedicated to giving materials a second life through creative reuse.
Local nonprofits are also helping expand reuse opportunities. Reduce Waste Chicago hosts events that collect items that can be reused, repurposed, or are difficult to recycle.EcoShip keeps shipping materials, moving boxes and bubble wrap in circulation so they can be reused again.
Closely related to reuse is repurpose, sometimes called upcycling. This means giving an item a new life in a different form. A glass jar can become storage, a cardboard box can organize a closet or an old t-shirt can become a cleaning cloth. Repurposing encourages creativity while extending the life of items that might otherwise be discarded.
Spring cleaning is also a great time to rethink the products we use to clean our homes. Many conventional cleaning supplies come packaged in single-use plastic and are designed to be thrown away once empty. Fortunately, there are simple swaps that can make cleaning both effective and less wasteful.
Reusable Swedish dishcloths can replace dozens of rolls of paper towels. Bamboo dish brushes with replaceable heads can take the place of disposable sponges. Plastic-free laundry detergent sheets eliminate bulky plastic jugs and wool dryer balls can replace single-use dryer sheets.
This is where refill comes in. Instead of purchasing a new plastic bottle every time a product runs out, refill systems allow you to reuse the same container repeatedly. At The Unwaste Shop, more than 100 products are available at the refill station, from hand soap and dish soap to laundry detergent and all-purpose cleaner.
Finally, there is recycle, which many of us are already familiar with. Recycling still plays an important role, but it also requires education. “Wish-cycling”—putting items in the bin just in case they are recyclable—can contaminate recycling streams and prevent materials from being properly processed. Items like Styrofoam and certain soft plastics cannot go in Chicago’s blue recycling bins and instead require specialized drop-off programs.
In the Beverly/Morgan Park neighborhood, you have a local resource for exploring many of these ideas. The Unwaste Shop, located at 1915 W. 103rd St., provides sustainable alternatives to everyday products that help people reduce waste at home, including refill stations and reusable household goods. The shop also serves as a drop-off location for several of the reuse and recycling programs mentioned above.
For many people, the biggest challenge isn’t wanting to reduce waste. It’s simply knowing where to begin. The good news is that sustainable habits are often easiest to adopt one step at a time. Most people begin with one or two small swaps that fit naturally into their routines, and over time those small changes add up.
Spring cleaning, at its heart, is about creating space for what matters. By refusing what we don’t need, reducing what we bring in, reusing and repurposing what we already have, refilling when possible and recycling thoughtfully, we can refresh our homes while also caring for the neighborhood and environment we all share.
