We will be moving soon, thus we are cleaning out things I didn’t even know we had. I’ve never thought of myself as a pack rat, but when you come across things from 1994 that you haven’t seen in 15 years, maybe I am, just a little.

We had financial records from the early ’90, that I had now shredding. Keeping things for 7-10 years is one thing, forever is probably not necessary, even forthe IRS. We are having a massive garage sale with everything from kids’ toys to tools. House wares, books, furniture, office supplies, picture frames, bedding…you name it and it is probably in the sale.

I can’t tell you how many bags of trash my husband and I carried out on trash days. So what have I learned? One thing is that you should do spring and fall cleaning every year, not just every decade or two. Cleaning should involve more than switching from the winter to the spring clothes. Also, that much of what I have and don’t need or use I can donate to others who will enjoy them.

By far my biggest lesson is that it is more fun to collect than declutter. Yet, having the all that stuff out of the house is very exhilarating.

Saving our plant, global warming, recycling and “going green” are part of everyone’s vocabulary today. Businesses are more worried about their customers’ perception of them if they are cramming landfills, polluting the air and soil, using up natural resources and destroying surrounding ecosystems. People concerned about our planet urge more government support for greening efforts through subsidies that would incentivize more businesses to go green. This would, in turn, lead to consumers having more variety and less expensive options to eco-friendly supplies and services.

Grocery stores are considering charging for plastic bags and are selling reusable bags instead. Consumers of automotive products, hotels, food, cosmetics, paper goods, homes and a number of other products are actively searching for companies who support our environment directly or indirectly. As more and more people seek out recycled and eco-friendly products and services, new industries are emerging to meet the growing needs.

More people are researching and purchasing ways to green their lives and preserve the environment. Media is spending more air time on delivering the message, and movies like “An Inconvenient Truth” are seeing big box office numbers. Transforming an existing business or creating a new one that will lower emissions and help preserve the planet is oftentimes initially more expensive than traditional ones. To balance the larger cost of going green, businesses and individuals can reap a return on their investment in energy and water savings, as well as enjoy a sense of pride and personal gratification.

To read more about “greening” and Women in High Places in Green Marketing, click on my Winter 2009 newsletter at http://advisorylink-dfw.com/news/NewsletterWinter2009.htm.

 What are your thoughts on the “greening of America?”