Decluttering Responsibly

I'm working to get rid of a lot of the excess in my home. As I do this, I am mindful to rehome my excess goods in responsible ways, but it is not as easy being responsible. (And that sentence is complete in itself. It's never as easy to be responsible as to be irresponsible!) Reading about the excess goods that even thrift shops cannot absorb, I am making a greater effort to find good homes for the things I want to get rid of.

My mother gives me her old magazines. After I have looked through them, I used to donate them to the local library. Recently, however, I found out that they no longer really want old magazines, as they don't sell well. I found a senior lounge near where my daughter dances, and they were very happy to receive them. Plus, when I went back with more magazines I found that the ones I had brought previously were no longer there, so I assume someone is appreciating them. I will hope that they are recycled when no one else wants them, not thrown in the landfill.

The bottle of hand lotion I was given will go to a women's shelter that was collecting items at my kids' school before break. If they are no longer collecting, the lotion will go to the church, to be included in baskets for shut-ins. It will take a little longer to move the lotion out, but if the shelter wants it, it will be more needed and desired there.

I sell items on ebay, especially if I'm not sure whether an item will be appreciated at the thrift store. Life magazines from 1968? Probably not a high demand item at Goodwill, but someone somewhere will want them, and I'm willing to take the time to sell them that way. I have the space for storing both the goods and the shipping packaging, so I'm able to do store things for sale.

For me, simplifying isn't simple. I feel responsible for the goods that pass through my hands, I feel responsible to the people who made them, and I feel responsible to the other people who live on this planet who have a share in the results of the decisions I make. I would like to eliminate the excess material goods quickly and easily, but I need to take responsibility for the decisions I have made in the past. Hopefully, when I am done with the decluttering aspect of this project I will not have to cart around objects as I look for an appropriate home for them.