Personally, I look forward to the annual spring clean. I am by no means a clean freak—I’ve been known to let dust bunnies and socks accumulate in alarming numbers under the bed.

I more so enjoy the process of reorganizing and getting rid of things—things that seem to multiply as the months go by. Things that get tucked away as “someday I’ll have a reason to wear this” or “someday I might have a use for this.” In reality, they sit sad and forlorn in my closet, drawers and garage collecting dust and taking up valuable space. Worst yet, I get a little pang of guilt each time I eye these neglected items.

I have come to love purging so much that I keep an ongoing donation box in the basement that I try to drop off at Goodwill each month. Every time I drop off a box, I leave feeling that much lighter. And now my friends compliment how minimal our home has become. But let me tell you, I didn’t become a minimalist overnight—it’s taken me time, discipline and practice.

For me, minimalism and zero waste go hand-in-hand. I became a minimalist before I became a zero waster. I love the feeling of looking around my home and seeing uncluttered surfaces with only the few bare essentials. I love the process of going through each of my drawers, closets, rooms and evaluating what I really need and cultivating simple everyday objects that bring me joy.

Similarly, I’ve found that zero waste is connected to having fewer things and maximizing objects that are long-lasting, high quality and not designed for disposal. With both minimalism and zero waste, I’m getting down to the bare essentials and taking good care of the few things I have so they last a long time.

So with this year’s spring clean drawing near, I wanted to share a few of my tips for creating a zero waste, minimal space that will bring joy and clarity to your environment.

Create a list. I love a good list. It helps me to organize all of my to-dos and projects so that I don’t feel overwhelmed and can create a plan of action. I like to go by room. For example, bedroom might include:

purge closet

organize jewelry box

wash windows and mirrors

wash linen, blankets and pillows

sweep cobwebs from ceiling

dust art and floor mouldings

scrub kilim area rug