Paper clutter A common cause of paper clutter is the lack of habits and routines for handling and staying on top of your paperwork. Paper requires action, so to keep paper clutter away you must act on your paper regularly. Begin by processing your paper every single day, or in other words, strive to completely empty your collection bin once every twenty-four hours. Do this by recycling the junk mail, filing papers you need to keep, and placing bills and other actionable paper into your action system. Remember, action creates change!