If you no longer have a use for something and it isn’t worth selling then throwing it away may be tempting. Many items cannot be recycled after all. However, before you reach for the bin, consider whether someone else could use your unwanted item. Charity shops are usually glad of donations, and by giving away things you no longer need, you not only keep usable items out of landfill, but can also help the charity of your choice. Some charities can also make use of your empty print cartridges, unwanted mobile phones and the like, so it’s always worth looking around to see who can use what.
You may also want to consider freecycle - http://www.freecycle.org. This is run through a series of yahoo egroups each serving a small geographical area. As you'll see from the website, there are groups all over the world, from Britain to Kuwait, Quatar to Puerto Rico. Some city groups have thousands of members, some small town groups less than a hundred.
How it works : you simply list the things you want to get rid of, or ask for things you could do with (within reason) and watch what other people are getting rid of too. It's free, it keeps items out of landfill, frequently helps people who are in difficult circumstances, and is very satisfying to use. It’s even worth offering broken or damaged items because sometimes people need them for parts, or fancy having a go at fixing them. It’s amazing what other people can use, and things you may have felt were junk can be a real blessing to others. Not only does freecycle keep items out of landfill, it means other people don’t have to go buying things either – reducing consumption and use of resources. [I've seen everything offered, from working cars and washing machines to the free DVDs you get with Sunday newspapers on our local group. Ed]
If you can’t give it away either (anyone want a bread bin?), consider what other uses your item might be put to. Could you take it apart and recycle some of the components, or use the wooden bits on a wood burning stove? Could you plant something in it? Could it go in a dressing up box? Could you cut it up and use it as cleaning rags? If you start from the premise that it isn’t ok to drop things in the bin, and try to salvage at least some use from some part of the offending object, it’s surprising what you can come up with. Of course if you gain a reputation for being able to do things with rubbish, other people may offer you their rubbish rather than sending it to landfill. I now have a number of people who bring their waste wood to my door rather than the dump, because they know I can use it for the fire.
Giving things away doesn’t just have immediate environmental benefits. There is a joy to be had in helping other people out, and seeing something you once owned pass on to a new home where it is needed and will be valued. Asking for things and getting them for free is a delight too, and saves other people from binning objects they can no longer use. Being able to give away the things you don’t need is liberating, and its fun and I can’t recommend it enough.
Bryn Colvin
February 2008
