The art of discarding is about mainly changing our mind set so that we have a positive attitude towards discarding items that we don’t use. The book goes through attitudes and strategies to discard items by giving different scenarios and how to overcome them.

The first part of the book discusses the Japanese concept of Mottani, which the shame associated with wastefulness. In the past things were precious people looked after and used their possessions. Often after an item lost it’s purpose, people tended to find new ways of re-purposing it’s purpose. However today there has been a switch from an era were things were precious to a point where everything is in abundance. With the market being flooded with new things, we have changed to view that new is always better. We are drowning in stuff because we are not buying possessions because we need them but because we want them. We are buying more stuff but because of our in grained view of Mottani, we are not discarding things as fast as we are buying them. We need a positive attitude to discarding, instead of thinking of discarding as wastefulness, we need to look at it as a way of assessing the value of things. We must not fall into the trap of thinking that not throwing something away is that same as looking after it. We need to remember that ‘Keep things you use and discard things you don’t’. The best way to cherish something is to use it.

Attitudes that prevent us from discarding

• Don’t keep items for now - Discard it right away because you will end getting rid of things in the end
• Avoid temporary storage because those places tend to become permanent
• Some time never comes - items like clothes are kept because some time you could use it
• Buying things for convenience
• Nothing is sacred - If you own an item, you should use it, if you don’t use it then don’t have it.
• Storage and organisational methods are not the solution to discarding items

Strategies to help in dicarding

• When something catches your attention ask your self can you get rid of it.
• Discard things as soon as you receive them - Don't keep them to discard later
• Give away things you don’t need to someone who will want and appreciate it
• When you have excess of a certain item, get rid of it
• Discard items when you have not used them after a period of time
• Limit the space you have for items
• If you have not completely used something get rid of it
• Set criteria for disposal and do not give any item special exemptions
• Assign responsibility for disposal of an area or items to particular person