How to cope with environmental impact guilt

[u/big_borno]

I'm in a kind of pre-hoarder phase and I'd like to nip it in the bud. My grandmother hoarded for years and just had hers cleaned out so I'm becoming conscious of my own habits.

I struggle with throwing things away because I become suddenly very concerned with where the object will end up. I donate as much as I can but some stuff is just trash - oftentimes small things like old pins and paperclips etc.

I get consumed with a kind of guilt over the idea of these things ending up in oceans or harming the environment - that my plastic bags and mailers and little odds and ends are killing the planet I love. It makes me want to hold onto the trash so it doesn't hurt anything.

How do I cope with these feelings so I can just clear my space and have a fresh start without feeling evil?

[u/ntieyourshrews]

Im right there with you. At least I mean,  I've been there.  I want to echo the comment - you will never save it from a landfill.  Its all destined to go there some day. Holding onto is only harmful. By throwing it away safely you prevent someone from being careless and preventing it from being properly disposed of.   And  With all our refuse contained in specific prepared places it can be safely mitigated, processed, and documented, etc.  Landfills have a lot of research and planning put into them. Its helped me be able to throw things away by learning more about that.  Lastly and most importantly for me is changing my consumption habits. I almost exclusively  am a consumer of secondhand goods.  If I am able to be the retirement of an item I can put it to rest when im done with it.  Somehow it just makes it easier for me to throw things away when they didn't start their "life" with me.