5 Ways to Relieve Your Plastic Waste Guilt–The Truths We Ignore about Plastic Storage Furniture
Plastic furniture items that are no longer functional are one of the biggest problem pieces we encounter as professional organizers. These cheaply made storage items are all too often a convenient, quick-fix to organize a space without breaking the bank, but unfortunately they are not a long term benefit to our homes or our environment. Look, we get it - these items, when new, seem like the perfect answer, and we have our share of plastic storage in our homes.
The big problem with plastic storage is not their functionality, it’s that they degrade in quality over time.
Especially when it’s time to move, our things don’t fit the same. We know it’s time to replace, discard, or upgrade our furniture and storage. Oftentimes, these items being replaced, discarded, or upgraded are the plastic storage items. Sure–you can take some of these items to places like Goodwill or maybe a local Habitat for Humanity and sometimes they are even eligible items for Austin’s recycling center…
But the real issue is what we already know and dread to think about: plastic doesn’t decompose and it doesn’t really get recycled.
According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition non-profit organization, recycling is a misnomer when it comes to plastic waste. If the plastic being “recycled” isn’t burned, lost, sent to a landfill, or shipped to another country, it is actually “downcycled,” meaning the plastic will be turned into something else, like a fleece jacket. There are other issues during this downcycling process that have a negative impact on the environment. Since plastic does not decompose naturally and only degrades in quality, even this downcycling process requires fresh plastic and toxins to reinvigorate the old plastic.1 Downcycling is also “expensive, and requires huge amounts of infrastructure, equipment, water, and energy.”2 The plastic dilemma seems hopeless, and it is a really big problem that no single person or government can solve without serious change.
So the question is, what can we do about this plastic problem?
While there is not much we can do to solve for all the plastic that is already in our homes and in our environment, we do have some agency about choosing not to purchase more plastic storage. The reality is that plastic is everywhere, our lives are busy and plastic is cheap and convenient. However, as consumers, we can decide to look for alternatives to the easy plastic storage solutions. In this blog post, we’ll go over several reasons why you might be buying or getting rid of two plastic storage solutions, the plastic dresser and the plastic shelf, and we’ll go over some alternatives to these products. (And yes, we also have budget-friendly options!)
The plastic dresser and plastic shelf are–heretofore–staple items of many homes. They cheaply keep many things organized such as overflow pantry items, craft items, gardening supplies, laundry items, home utility items, and especially kids’ items (as we all know, kids are not the best stewards of…anything). Unfortunately, as we mentioned earlier, plastic doesn’t decompose, and it also degrades in quality. So someday, those plastic shelves will sag under the weight of toolboxes and the plastic of the drawers will crack. When these plastic storage pieces start to wear out and feel less new, there’s not many ways to fix them aesthetically and ensure they can still serve their purpose well.
This is the moment when you decide to replace or upgrade those pieces of plastic furniture. We know–there’s a lot going on in life, and the easiest way to replace those items is to reorder it off Amazon. But, there are some alternative products that will recycle at the end of their lifespan. Or, you can even shop your own home…
If you value your part in taking care of the environment, check out our list as professional home organizers who love to incorporate sustainability whenever possible:
Alternative approaches and products for shopping plastic drawers and shelves:
BEFORE YOU SHOP FOR MORE STORAGE FURNITURE:
Instead of getting rid of plastic furniture, see if it can serve a different purpose in your home.
That plastic shelf with the bowed shelves may not work for the bathroom supplies anymore, but could it go into the shed to hold some lightweight toys and plastic pots? And the cracked drawers–unsightly in the main house, but maybe they could hold some small items in the attic or garage? Walk your house and audit spaces where some older furniture like old plastic drawers or shelves could come in handy. One of our professional organizers, Abbie, reused an old plastic crate for her recyclables after she decided it no longer served in her bathroom.
2. Use what you have–it’s free! (Or prepaid depending on how you look at it ;) )
Sometimes, we have everything we need. In that case, shop your own home to see which furniture items could be cleared out and repurposed for another use. It probably wouldn’t surprise you that professional organizers are constantly revising their systems at home to make room for the new! This approach works especially well if you have multiple, similar items but some of those items are either holding things that belong elsewhere or are holding very few items to begin with.
IF YOU REALLY DON’T HAVE THE STORAGE YOU NEED, TRY THESE ALTERNATIVE SHOPPING APPROACHES:
3. Buy second-hand thrifted furniture.
If you live in Austin, check out our favorite local Austin thrift stores like Habitat for Humanity and Far Out Home Fittings. You can find cheaper vintage furniture and some places will also carry discarded plastic furniture that might also suit your needs. Or, if your mother is a vintage furniture enthusiast like Abbie’s, you may be able to shop someone else’s outdated treasures!
4. If you have to buy new, buy sustainable materials like metal or wood.
Look for online products like the Jonaxel drawers from the Elfa system. We recommend any fine-meshed options, as the open-wired style is less practical and less aesthetic. You can even consider a full-on remodel with updated systems if it’s in your budget.
5. Think about investing in “forever” pieces and what it could look like to be a steward of your furniture.
Sure, that vintage wooden chest is expensive, but the great thing about wooden furniture is its capacity for repairs and renovation. You might pay more up front and pay for upkeep, but you’ll have a clear conscience in terms of your plastic waste footprint, and for some people that might be worth it.
It’s easy to forget that our temporary, convenient solutions can result in inconvenient, global issues like plastic waste. It’s not nice to think about, and we don’t blame anyone–even ourselves–when it comes to the plastic problem. But if there is a chapter in life when you are able to use your time and energy to make a small difference, we promise that it feels pretty great.
Whatever you do, we at Organized For Good are always here to support all your organizing, makeover, and home-improvement endeavors.
We have Marie Kondo certified professional consultants ready to help you declutter and strategically shop your own home for the best storage solutions. Our organizers are equipped for personal shopping and installation of new products, and we also love to help our non-Austin friends over digital sessions to help maximize their space. Although we love a sustainably designed product, we get that it isn’t accessible for everyone–we are not in the business of judging (or being hypocritical, because when cared for and reused, plastic is a good organizing solution and we have it in our own homes, too). If you’re interested in what kind of items we frequently look for to organize for our clients, check out our Amazon storefront, which we’ve curated for us and for all our friends on their own organizational journeys.
If you’re stuck, or if you don’t even know where to begin with your stuff, check out our services or book a 20-minute COMPLIMENTARY phone consultation with us.
We’d love to hear how we can help you create the home of your dreams–which we hope has a little less plastic in its future!
1“What Really Happens To Your Plastic “Recycling.”” 2022. Plastic Pollution Coalition. https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2022/5/16/what-really-happens-to-your-plastic-recycling
2“Think that your plastic is being recycled? Think again.” 2023. MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/10/12/1081129/plastic-recycling-climate-change-microplastics/
