Our Favorite Sustainable Organizing Products

One of the best things to come from the 2020 organizing boom is the slew of new sustainable organizing products that have hit the market. From The Container Store, to iDesign to The Home Edit, most of our favorite brands and stores now have a sustainable option available for just about every product we use.

This is an amazing step forward for those who care about the environment but also want a super-functional, beautiful space to come home to. Keep reading as we highlight some of the environmental benefits of organizing and some of our favorite products now available that will allow your values and style to live in harmony.

Organizing is Green

At the heart of each and every organization project is intentionality. You are encouraging yourself (or being encouraged by your Professional Organizer friends like me) to be extremely mindful of what you allow into your home. Part of this process is setting boundaries for yourself and your family about how much clutter you will accept.

Is easy to dismiss organization as a “frill” or something “extra,” but in reality it has so many benefits for not only mental health but also the health of our planet. When you bring order to your home, you are better able to evaluate your true needs, minimizing waste and conserving resources:

1. Minimizing Waste: When you organize your home with intention, you can identify the items that are no longer needed and donate, sell, or recycle them instead of just throwing them away in frustration. This reduces waste and prevents unnecessary items from ending up in landfills.
2. Reducing Consumption: By organizing your home, you can identify items that you already have and avoid purchasing duplicate items, which reduces consumption and waste. Additionally, organizing can help you prioritize the items that you actually need and use, which can help you make more mindful and sustainable purchasing decisions in the future.
3. Conserving Resources: When you organize your home, you can optimize your space and make the most of the resources available to you. For example, you can use containers and storage solutions to maximize your storage space, which can reduce the need to purchase additional storage solutions in the future.

What to Look For When Shopping for Sustainable Products

Choose storage solutions made from sustainable materials like bamboo, reclaimed wood, or recycled plastic. Avoid buying new plastic storage containers, instead, repurpose items you already have such as glass jars, cardboard boxes, or old baskets.

If you are OK with a more eclectic look, you can also shop second hand for bins and baskets. Check your local thrift stores, garage sales, and buy nothing groups for containers that fit your space.

Pro-tip: Try to keep your color scheme cohesive so that even if the products don’t match exactly, you are still reducing the overall visual clutter.

Shopping New Products

If you prefer to have new products for the perfect fit and look, there are beautiful options available made from sustainable materials. Below is a list (broken down by store or brand) of some of our favorites. Each photo is linked for easy shopping!

The Container Store + iDesign

The entire wooden collection by The Home Edit x iDesign, which you can shop at The Container Store, is made of fast-growing, responsibly sourced Paulownia hardwood, an easily renewable resource. It is available in both sand and onyx, and what I used in my own pantry!

A new line by Rosanna Pansino x iDesign features products made from post-consumer recycled materials, and much of their paper organization selections from the Marie Kondo and Bigso lines are similarly eco-friendly. Even the popular nordic bins are made with recycled materials!

Additionally, TCS has a large assortment of products made from bamboo, jute, cotton and water hyacinth, all renewable resources. On their website, each product page lists details on the product’s materials under the “Product Information” tab.

Read more about The Container Store’s green offerings in this article from their blog.

iDesign’s goal is to transition all current plastic products to recycled plastic by 2025. Read more about their sustainability goals on their website.

BONUS Our resident designer and Team Support Manager, Lori, recently identified these new items at The Container Store as her favorite picks for spring. The prices are a bit steep, but they are certainly beautiful. Worth a splurge in a high-impact area if you don’t need too many! All three are made with renewable resources.

Walmart/The Home Edit

One of the more exciting new lines to hit shelves recently is The Home Edit collection at Walmart. To keep things sustainable while shopping these offerings, stick to the new bamboo products that were just added.

Target

At Target, the bamboo selections in their Brightroom collection are a good option. We also love their felt bins, and – good news – felt is a sustainable material! Target offers a great variety of Hyacinth baskets that look great in pantries and living spaces, too.

YouCopia

YouCopia is another brand we love! They are starting to introduce a line of sustainable products. You can read about their first few offerings here. One product we are especially excited to see was this reusable bag organizer! This would be perfect in a kitchen, pantry, garage or coat closet.

We are looking forward to watching each of these brands continue to expand their sustainable options. There is still a long way to go, but it’s nice to see so many new arrivals each season. Have a great sustainability x organization tip for me? DM it to me on Instagram or Facebook so I can share with my communities there!

If you are ready to take the leap into organization, let us know on our contact form that you would like to stick to sustainable options whenever possible. We are happy to help you achieve this goal through every step of the process.

Happy Organizing!

Susie