Happy spring!

Thinking about organizing and spring cleaning? I recently read two articles in the same day that could not have been more opposite.

First, The Minimalist Mom who, if I am counting correctly, only has 16 items of clothing in her closet.

Then, I read about Beth Shak- the professional poker player who has a shoe collection reportedly worth around $1 million which she stores in four password-protected closets.

Both articles offered organizing tips.

I relate more toward the woman with 4 shoe closets- one of my favorite movies from childhood was “Overboard” with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell…not necessarily for the storyline, but for the incredible rotating shoe rack he built for her.

And as for minimalism- I can barely go away for the weekend with only 16 items in my overnight bag. Perhaps my love of clothes and shoes is a byproduct of my pre-motherhood career. Perhaps it’s because I’m my mother’s daughter.

Whatever the case may be, like most of us, I often find myself in need of paring down and doing a bit of spring cleaning. I hate the thought of adding to landfills, and have found a great way to recycle old clothes, that are not in good enough condition to donate.

H&M

From their website: “Every year tons of textiles are thrown out and end up in landfill. As much as 95% of these clothes could be used again; re-worn, reused or recycled – depending on the state of the garment.

Producing new resources – such as cotton – to make garments at one end and wasting them on the other does not make business sense. Also it doubles the stress on our environment. This is why we have launched a global garment collecting initiative as the first fashion company in the world.”

Customers are encouraged to bring in unwanted garments of any brand and in any condition to H&M stores in all 53 markets to be given a new life. And they give you a voucher for 15% off any item in exchange for your bag.

Most “fast fashion” has a negative impact on the environment. But H&M maintains a commitment to sustainability and their operations are run in a way that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

They have set seven ambitious commitments:

• Provide fashion for conscious customers
• Choose and reward responsible partners
• Be ethical
• Be climate smart
• Reduce, reuse, recycle
• Use natural resources responsibly
• Strengthen communities

I have always loved H&M, and knowing about the H&M conscious program makes me love them even more.

Here you can read more about their sustainability. And next time you’re thinking about throwing out an old t-shirt or pair of socks, take it to H&M instead!