Throwing Things Away

Can you relate to this?

You declutter a bunch of stuff, and then you get stuck when it comes to throwing things away because you feel bad about adding more waste to our landfills.

I've been there.

I just read something that helped me reframe this, and maybe it will help you, too.

In Joshua Becker's book The Minimalist Home (2018), he has a segment on "feeding the landfill." He says that when we can't donate or recycle something, and it truly belongs in the trash, realize that "every object in your home already exists." He notes:

“If you send it to the landfill, it will be taking up an equal amount of space in a location that the authorities in your area have designated for disposal … Don’t let it inhibit you from making your home a silent argument for consumer restraint.”

Becker’s reminder is liberating. We all hate the idea of sending things to the dump, but items that have reached the end of their usefulness belong there. (Your local thrift shop doesn't want stained, broken, unusable items either!) As Becker reminds us, landfills are designed for exactly that purpose, and the pang of regret we feel should inspire smarter shopping next time, not freeze us in clutter.

When you start your next decluttering project and end up with items destined for the trash, I hope you'll keep this in mind: it's okay to throw things away.

You deserve to live in a home that isn't a storage unit for broken junk, past mistakes, or things that weigh you down.

Let it go—and let your space reflect who you are now, not just what you've carried.

Thanks for reading!