From the Desk of Janet Barclay

Is your home or office cluttered with old cell phones you don’t know what to do with? During Stroke Awareness Month, from June 1 to June 30, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, in partnership with the Chartered Insurance Professional Society - Hamilton/Niagara Chapter, will be collecting old cell phones for recycling. For every cell phone that you donate, $1 will be given to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. You can drop off your old cell phones any time during the month of June at 1439 Upper Ottawa Street in Hamilton - Heart and Stroke Foundation Hamilton Office (Unit # 7) or Chartered Insurance Professional Society - Hamilton/Niagara Chapter (Unit 4 and 5).

It’s that simple to reduce your clutter, keep cell phones out of landfill, and help the Heart and Stroke Foundation breakthrough medical advancements, effect social change, and educate individuals, families and health professionals to get results that change lives!

Do you have other items you no longer need or want, but don’t know what to do with? Visit Charity Village for a listing of other organizations accross Canada that accept items for recycling, including clothing, computers and other electronic equipment, furniture and household items, renovation and building materials, vehicles, and even industrial machinery!

Since yesterday was Earth Day, it seems like a good time to write about some of the ways that  professional organizers are helping our planet.

Most obvious is the fact that when helping clients to declutter their homes or workplaces, most, if not all, professional organizers will encourage them to Reduce-Reuse-Recycle. Items that the clients no longer need or want are often donated to charitable organizations.

Especially noteworthy is a group called Simple and Sustainable Pro Organizers who are "interested in simplicity, sustainability, and environmental consciousness as it pertains to our lives, our businesses, and our clients." There will even be a panel presentation and discussion about Simple and Sustainable Organizing at this week’s NAPO Conference, moderated by Claire Josefine. Also participating will be Linette George (recycling), Amanda Kovattana (earth-friendly organizing products), Illinois’ Holly Sherman (educating clients), and Jan Wencel (conscious consuming).

I’d like to thank these women for their work in this area, and I wish them and all the other attendees a very successful and enjoyable conference!