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Organizing your home can reduce stress levels, and there are easy ways to declutter while being mindful of the environment, suggests Lorie Marrero, author of “The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life.”

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Below are eight green organizing ideas adapted from or inspired by Lorie's book:

1. Start with a prioritized task list to stay on track. Why not use a compact notebook that you can reuse over and over? Be sure to use both sides of each sheet of lined paper and to write legibly.
2. Prevent having to recycle junk mail by removing your name from mailing lists. Register with the Mail Preference Service at www.dmachoice.org.
3. When you do organize, you often need to clean off a shelf or wash a window to make the space feel finished. Clean up with environmentally-preferable cleaners that also perform well. The International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA) is working with the University of Massachusetts Lowell Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) to validate the performance of greener cleaning products. Also consult the UMass TURI website for DIY solutions.
4. Instead of using paper towels, recycle old clothing and towels into cleaning rags. Tear them or mark them with a big “X” with a marker, so that you avoid getting them mixed back into your regular clothing and linens.
5. Make your recycling efforts "official" — give this function a dedicated space in your home, either in your mudroom, garage or kitchen, so that it isn’t constantly in your way. You might want an intermediate bin you can take to the larger bin to empty in the garage when it’s full.
6. Recycle your technology items such as computers, monitors, fax machines and printers at participating office supply stores and donate items you don’t need—from clothes to furniture—to local organizations.
7. Save shredded paper for packing material. This gives it a second life and saves you money on packing supplies.
8. When you make an office or other purchase, look for products of high quality that will last, rather than products that you will need to discard and replace.

About IEHA

The International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA) is a 3,200-plus member organization for housekeeping management. Executive housekeepers are managers that direct housekeeping programs in commercial, industrial or institutional facilities, including upscale hotels, hospitals, schools, and other public places. The non-profit was founded in 1930 in New York City, and is now located in Westerville, Ohio, a suburb of the state’s capitol.