Great Products: Smart Bin Recycling Center

I'm always on the hunt for great organizing products and will share as many as I can with all of you as I try them out myself.

Recycling has always been a challenge in my kitchen, with limited space for a large set of stacking recycling bins. Until recently, all of the recycling (paper, plastic, etc.) was mixed together in brown paper bags stuffed behind my trash can. Recycling day was always a challenging mess, and my items often didn't get sorted appropriately before heading out to the curb.

The Smart Bin Recycling Center looks great in stainless, and has three large pull-out bins and convenient foot pedals. I was able to label each bin for a different category and there is plenty of room for a week's worth of recyclables.

Target's website shows these for $99.99. But I recently got mine at Costco for $60. Two thumbs up! This product is making it even easier for us to do a better job with recycling.

Recycling Your "Technotrash"

I was doing some homework for a client who is cleaning out an office space and wants to responsibly get rid of old software, floppy disks, and unnecessary computer peripherals. I found a great service that I wanted to share with everyone called GreenDisk. For a box of 20 pounds in weight or less, GreenDisk will recycle a lot of computer-related items for $6.95 plus the cost of shipping. This is a great resource and makes it easy to clean out your old electronics without putting everything into a landfill.

"Get Organized Month"

The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) has deemed January "Get Organized (GO) Month" once again. With a new year and a fresh start, it's no wonder that many people choose to "get organized" as a New Year's Resolution.

My advice for those who are starting out is to choose a focused project. The notion of "getting organized" is quite broad, and without some specific goals and focus, your efforts can easily fall apart. Try to start by dealing with one specific issue (like effectively handling the daily mail), or with a small, manageable area in your home (e.g. the linen closet). You'll feel great about the progress you are able to make, and it will get you into the groove of getting organized.

Is getting organized part of your New Year's Resolution plan? If so, what projects are you targeting?