Current climate concerns mean that we’re each putting more thought into how we run our homes, live our lives, and reduce our overall impact. Many people don’t realize that The KonMari Method™ naturally supports building a more sustainable life in simple, manageable ways.
As you adopt new rituals that spark joy – and let go of excesses that do not – living more mindfully becomes automatic. So do more thoughtful consumption and eco-friendly routines. As Marie explains, “Tools and practices that help me reduce waste spark joy for me. I’m not perfect when it comes to living a fully sustainable life – and I’m still learning – but these practices make it easier to live mindfully.”
Here are some ways The KonMari Method can help you reduce your impact, today and over time.
Reduces Excess
When you learn what sparks joy in your life and home, you’ll no longer want to fill time or space with goods that don’t. For the clothing category, that means letting go of fast fashion in favor of a more limited wardrobe that makes you feel most like yourself. And folding, organizing and storing these items with care means they will last much longer.
The same logic applies to every other KonMari category. After tidying up your komono, you’ll no longer fall into old habits of miscellaneous consumption – such as buying travel souvenirs simply to “have something.”
Encourages Low-Waste Practices
When you tidy the KonMari Way, it becomes easy to know exactly what you own. This makes a significant difference in reducing perishable waste. A 2020 study by the American Journal of Agricultural Economics found that the average U.S. household wastes 31.9% of its food. Not so for a KonMari household! After tidying up your kitchen and pantry, you’ll easily spot produce and ingredients before they expire. And by stocking foods that spark joy, you’ll feel energized to cook at home more often rather than ordering delivery in styrofoam containers!
Creates a Reuse-First Mindset
The KonMari Method celebrates the cyclical nature of goods. What doesn’t spark joy for you may well spark joy for someone else, so every tidying festival includes a process for mindful discarding. Rather than placing items in the bin, Marie recommends donating everything you can. Doing so treats items with gratitude and respect and offers them a new life with someone else. Here are our favorite resources for reselling, donating and recycling.
Encourages Long-Term Sustainability
The KonMari Method is environmentally sustainable, and it’s also personally sustainable. While you only need to complete a tidying festival once, the results will fundamentally change how you approach your home and life forever.
So much of our desire to acquire items we don’t need stems from feeling unsatisfied with — or overwhelmed by — our lives. The KonMari Method offers us a new way to live and be. It asks you to imagine your ideal lifestyle, then turn towards it. By surrounding yourself with only what matters most, you’ll waste less and discover endless joys — day after day, year after year.
