From homes to beaches
Decluttering. It’s a word that makes you think of messy wardrobes, chaotic kitchens, or stacks and stacks of old newspapers.
Recently, while travelling, I experienced a sort of decluttering in a rather unusual place.
A beach in Cambodia.
This year, while on holiday with Intro Travel, we had the (optional) opportunity to join a local volunteer leader to clean up a beautiful, yet littered, beach. Armed with gloves, bags, and a lot of enthusiasm, we spent hours collecting discarded plastic bottles, tangled fishing nets, and countless pieces of debris.
By the end of the day, the transformation was astonishing: a once cluttered, chaotic stretch of coastline had been returned to its natural beauty.
How did we start?
We assessed the mess and divide ourselves into teams of twos to cover different corners of the beach.
It was astonishing how much rubbish was buried under the sand and tangled with even more rubbish.
Under the watchful eye of a couple of neighbour’s pups who only wanted to help.
Bag that rubbish
We tried to bag as much rubbish as possible and check through the sand to make sure we left nothing behind.
The six of us managed to fill six massive bags, one for each of us.Â
Time to wrap it up
Once the bags were full, we emptied them on a beach again. Hear me out.
Our next step was to separate everything into type of rubbish. We filled two bags with fishing gear and nets, one bag with plastic, one with glass and tins, one for clothes (I was surprised too), and one for everything else.
Everything was logged and our team leader recycle everything appropriately. How satisfying.Â
In conclucion
Cleaning that beach was an incredibly rewarding experience. Probably made very little different in the grand scheme off things, but it was absolutely awesome.Â
Since I was a child, I have been raised to care and respect the environment. The planet is our home.Â
If you’re inspired by the idea of decluttering beyond your home, consider small actions that contribute to a cleaner world.
You could start with 3 easy steps:
- Start using reusable bags and bottles, whether you are commuting to work or travelling the world: I was shocked to see how many refilling stations there were everywhere in South East Asia
- Join a local clean-up initiative, maybe where you live or where you frequently visit, or even when you travel: there are plenty of opportunities home and away on sites like worldpackers
- Minimise waste by adopting a “less is more” approach, with your things at home, with your wardrobe, with food shopping: use reusable canvas bags, or if there is a farmer market near yours, buy some plastic-free fruit and vegs!
Trust me, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as seeing the immediate results of your efforts. Whether it’s a spotless countertop or a pristine shoreline.
What steps will you take today to declutter not just your home, but your corner of the world?
Final results!
Plastic bottles
Plastic straws
Bottle caps
Broken lighters
Kg of rubbish
Total number of items
Great activity to do on holiday!