I used the Japanese low-waste concept of 'Mottainai' to organize my busiest kitchen cabinets and decluttered with ease

Green kitchen with bright window to the left and island in center of image. Wooden counters and accents, lower cabinets only with chimney breast over range cooked in background.

If there’s one thing that irks me more than having a cluttered home, it’s a wasteful one. Whilst I know some household waste, is inevitable, I try to do my bit to avoid over-consumption wherever I can.

One concept that lives and breathes this philosophy is the Japanese philosophy of Mottainai, which is the method of not being wasteful. After speaking to organizing pros, I decluttered my busiest kitchen cabinets, something I have found tricky in the past, with the facets of Mottainai firmly in mind.