INDIANAPOLIS -- Cutting clutter may be key to staying organized, but it can also be environmentally friendly.

As part of national Get Organized Month, the Indianapolis chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers is hosting a recycling event aimed at helping Hoosiers clear out unneeded junk.

Going Green Special Section

"When we work with clients, they just want to start throwing things out," said Leslie Howard, the owner of Streamline By Design. "But we'll actually work with them to recycle items like magazines and paper, or take other items to Goodwill so they're just not sitting a trash can."

Two of the worst culprits of clutter, old personal documents and outdated electronics, can be tricky to dispose of because of confidentiality and environmental concerns.

Old TVs, computers and cell phones contain harmful chemicals that can leech into landfills and eventually into the water supply, while financial information left intact can leave a person open to identity left.

At Saturday's recycling event, personal documents will be shredded for $5 a box, while Cascade Asset Management will dispose of old electronics for 35 cents a pound.

"I have a computer that's sat in the basement forever, and I feel like if I have something I've been meaning to get rid of, there must be plenty of people who feel like that," said Libby Denehie, the owner of This End Up Organizing.

Members of the group said they make a conscious effort to help their clients overcome clutter, but also encourage them to think responsibly about where items end up, and how much unneeded stuff they bring into their homes.

Howard said she regularly takes old paint, varnish and household cleaners to area Tox Drops, helps to set up home recycling centers and coaches clients to do away with printing off e-mails and online news articles.

"Everyone in our group absolutely pushes for the environmentally sound practices," she said. "Besides giving them an organization plan, we take it one step further and make sure we're taking care of our planet."

Denehie said she likes to work with what clients already own when it comes to organizing their homes, instead of buying all-new materials, and encourages the people she works with to think before they buy.

"Clients sometimes feel like they're out of control, so they buy, buy, buy," she said. "It's a vicious cycle of spending, and it's bad for the environment, too."

Organizing daily activities, from running errands to checking off that to-do list, also can be green.

Robert Dittmer, the director of public relations graduate studies at Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis, has written two books that connect the subjects -- "Shades Of Green," with co-author Julie Vincent, a going green how-to guide, and "151 Quick Ideas to Manage Your Time."

"I watch my neighbors get so exhausted. She is in and out with that car all day long. She's running errands, she's dropping this one off, she's picking this one up," he said. "She's not even thinking about all the gas that she's burning. If only she had a plan."

Dittmer recommends people boost efficiency by creating to-do lists and daily schedules, grouping errands together and living close to work to cut down on unproductive commute time.

"The connections between time management and going green are in the simple things," he said. "Running errands efficiently saves time. Along the way it costs me less gas, and that means I'm putting fewer pollutants into the air."

Professional Organizers Indy's safe recycling event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Stop & Shred location at 5040 E. 62nd St.

More Information:

National Association of Professional Organizers

This End Up Organizing

Streamline By Design