A friend contacted me saying she desperately wants to organize her playroom, but she's discouraged because so many home organizing solutions are plastic. She wants to invest in more sustainable products but has difficulty finding stylish, greener alternatives that don't cost a ton of money.
So, to support her commitment to decluttering plastic from her life, I sourced five plastic-free organizing products to make her feel excited about organizing without negatively impacting her push towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
Eco-Friendly Home Organizing Products
Water Hyacinth Storage: The water hyacinth storage bin collection from The Container Store because of its versatility and durability. The bins and baskets are made from all-natural material that is incredibly sustainable, and in many areas, it's considered an invasive species. You can find water hyacinth storage bins in a variety of stores including IKEA, Target, West Elm, and Walmart.
Anchor Hocking Glass Jars: A classic and sturdy organizing staple. With its wide mouth opening, you can store an array of items. The Anchor Hocking jars are a baking and pantry staple, but they work exceptionally well in bathrooms, laundry rooms, and yes, even playrooms. The Container Store has a great selection, but I've also seen an array of glass jars at Home Goods, TJ Max, and your local dollar stores.
Acacia Stacking Drawer Organizer: Made from acacia (uh·kay·shuh), a fast-growing renewal resource, the drawer organizers are stackable, modular, and come in various sizes — perfect for containing your items so that they are never randomly floating around. In addition, they work great for organizing arts and crafts, office supplies, makeup, nail polish, or hair accessories. The Container Store has the best Acacia modular selection, but Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Walmart have nice options.
iDesign All-Purpose Bins: Made from Paulownia hardwood (paa·low·nee·uh), the all-purpose bins are super lightweight but incredibly durable and sturdy. Feel free to load them up with heavier items like Hot Wheels cars, Magna-Tiles®, or art supplies. I like these bins because you can nest them side-by-side or stack them to create a uniform look. And not to mention their beautiful natural color and sleek design. The Container Store has a large selection of Paulownia bins from the Home Edit line.
Jute Baskets: Jute baskets come in all shapes and sizes and add a beautiful decorative element to any room. They are great for housing throw blankets, books, magazines, stuffed animals, or shoes. In addition, jute is eco-friendly and sustainable because its very low maintenance requiring little water or extra care to thrive. You can find jute baskets and bins in a wide array of stores, including H&M, Walmart, Wayfair, Zara, and IKEA. Also, check out Etsy and your local home design shops for one-of-a-kind artisan jute items.
Don't Forget to Upcycle
The most eco-friendly home organizational system is to use what you already have. So, before you run out and buy new sustainable organizing bins and baskets, be mindful of what you can repurpose and reuse. Here are a few creative ways to get organized by repurposing and reusing what you already have:
Coffee can: For markers, colored pencils, or art supplies
Egg carton: Junk drawer organizer
Soda box: Food can storage
Shoebox: Ribbon organizer
Wine corks: Message board
Cereal box: Magazine or gift bag holder
Coffee creamer bottles: Decanting food items
Eco-Friendly Materials
As we continue to climb towards living a more environmentally conscious lifestyle and the desire to build a more sustainable lifestyle, companies are also following suit and investing in more alternative materials. This means we can look forwards to seeing more greener home organizing products fill the shelves. Look for these eco-friendly materials when selecting your home organizing products:
Cork
Hemo
Bamboo
Coconut
Teak
Stainless steel
Bioplastic compostables
Recycled Glass
Felt
Recycled plastics
Straw
Let me know your favorite non-plastic home organizing product. I'll update this list as I discover more outstanding alternatives. I'd love to hear about your eco-friendly home organizational systems.