Give unused items a new home 

The New Year is a great time to declutter and take stock of what things you have, what you want to keep and what items can be upcycled, recycled or donated. Decluttering can seem like a daunting task, but to it make easier follow these simple steps.

1. Put a sorting system in place so you know what you are keeping, repairing, reusing or recycling.
2. Break your declutter job down into manageable areas.
3. Look for things that you can fix or upcycle to keep them in use.
4. Identify items in good working condition that can be donated or sold.
5. If something can’t be repaired or reused, check if it can be recycled. Be sure to check out Mercer County's Beyond the Bucket Guide for help with hard-to-recycle items.

Now that your home is decluttered, remember the first R, in the "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" slogan. Enjoy the new space that you have unearthed in your home. Take advantage of what you already own to make sure the clutter doesn’t creep back in. Some tips on how to remain clutter free:

• Focus on buying what you need and what you love.
• Buy less and refuse items you don’t want, like goodie bags from events.
• Opt-out of receiving junk mail.

You may have heard the term “green infrastructure” mentioned in relation to a new development in your community, or efforts to mitigate stormwater runoff. However, more and more home owners and small-property owners are choosing to invest in green infrastructure as way to reduce pollution and save money on water.

Historically, communities have used systems of gutters, pipes and tunnels to move stormwater away from properties to treatment plants or straight to local water bodies. This type of infrastructure is aging in many places and the ability to manage large volumes of water is diminishing all over the country. As a response, communities are using green infrastructure systems to bolster their ability to manage stormwater.

Green infrastructure is often defined as "the range of measures that use plant or soil systems, permeable pavement or other permeable surfaces or substrates, stormwater harvest and reuse, or landscaping to store, infiltrate, or evapotranspirate stormwater and reduce flows to sewer systems or to surface waters." In other words, green infrastructure filters and absorbs stormwater where is falls.

Green roofs, porous pavement, rain gardens, and other water-saving techniques are called green infrastructure. More cities and property owners are choosing to invest in these strategies to save water, reduce pollution, and save millions or billions of dollars over the cost of building new tanks, tunnels, and traditional water infrastructure. Visit the US EPA’s website to learn more about green infrastructure.