research project: eco-conscious decluttering
For three weeks, I underwent a learning project that I did not anticipate...local eco-conscious decluttering!
It started with an ad on Nextdoor [which I posted in order to make extra money]. Having a lot of experience that I could make money from, I used AI to scribble a persuasive pitch. To my surprise, the people that responded to my post needed help decluttering their space [I mentioned that I helped some ladies clean out their garage and their greenhouse].
Truthfully, I had some knowledge of eco-friendly disposal practices, but I knew I needed a little more local knowledge.
After posting the ad, I also came up with the idea of creating a paid comprehensive guide for local, eco-conscious decluttering so that others could benefit from my research.
This is something I feel strongly about, that is, disposal of items which is conscious of the planet. And I also feel strongly about focusing on the local level. Because I have an appreciation of nature and community at the same time. I've done the work of researching the local resources and options available.
I asked ChatGPT for specific, localized advice on disposing of items [donating, recycling, selling, tossing]. I copied and pasted the answers to a textfile, simplified it in my own words, then put those notes into specific pages [recycling textiles, recycling electronics, recycling hangers, selling scrap metal etc.]
Whenever I start a new project, I start it in Notion. So that is where I created those pages.
During a daily 25 minute focus session, I kept adding addresses, locations, phone numbers, acceptable/unacceptable items, websites to each of these specific pages. Then I took a 5 minute break.
Using my saved list on Apple Maps, I drove to the specific locations, taking pictures to confirm if donation bins, free little libraries, and other recycling programs were indeed there, asked the shopkeepers if they did indeed recycle at this specific location, or made a phone call. Then I would plug the results into the Notion pages, added notes to the places in Apple Maps and Google Maps, added the photos to Google Maps of the locations I visited. I also learned how to create a public Google My Map which astounded me.
Throughout these three weeks, I've learned how to recycle specific items that I had no idea could be recycled [which will help me in getting more gigs, in my own future decluttering process, & getting involved in my own community]! I learned what the different kinds of scrap metal are and how to recycle each one, what kinds of things can be composted and where in the local area, that ecoATM kiosks exist, what a Pact drop-off bin is & where a local one is located, how to properly dispose of textiles & the different textile recycling plants around the local area. And so much more!
I completed this project yesterday. I set the deadline & of course I didn't get everything perfect the way that I would have liked. That doesn't matter. What matters is that I finished it by the deadline, with sufficient knowledge to take action on!