As any weekend garage-saler can attest, there are many prime opportunities for you to prevent waste through the treasured acts of selling and shopping.
How can this be? Can you say R-U-M-M-A-G-E S-A-L-E or T-H-R-I-F-T S-H-O-P?
One person's trash is another person's treasure.
OK, you've been a good shopper. You've purchased durable items that have lasted far longer than you ever anticipated. But do you have to live with these things forever?
The answer is no. There is no need to throw away used items that are in good or repairable condition just because you have no further use for them. And they don't have to contribute to your clutter collection, either. When cleaning out a closet or a garage, redecorating or moving, give your unwanted items a second life.
Remember, recycling is wonderful. But reducing the amount of goods we have to discard in the first place is even better. Every item reused is one less pound, give or take, for the landfill; the more natural resources saved -- whether wood (for furniture or paper) or cotton (for clothes) or oil (that's the basis for plastics, don't forget) -- the less energy and water used, and the less pollution created in the production process.
Turn those old sweaters, record albums or college textbooks into cold, hard cash. Hold a yard sale with your neighbors. Haul out that old couch that's been sitting in the garage for eons. If you are past the deadline for placing a garage sale ad for this weekend, you could check on a "too late to classify" ad or get one in early for next weekend.
Garage, rummage and thrift sales can benefit all of us. They are not only a way to get rid of old items, they also represent a chance to be green shopaholics.
Purchasing secondhand items at garage sales or thrift stores reduces waste. At garage sales, it's not uncommon to find goods in nearly perfect condition for a fraction of their original price. But please remember that waste prevention also means not acquiring things we don't really need (and which will have to be disposed of later), so consider making a pledge to only buy presents for friends from these outlets. Or just think about what you might need for the Halloween costume or other special events.
Do yourself and the environment a favor -- consider reuse FIRST.
Author Bio:
Maybe you don't have time to thumb through the quarterly catalog, which could be a great read with your morning coffee. If not, try CALMAX On-Line . Want to put a free ad in the CALMAX catalog, get on the mailing list or learn more? Call the California Integrated Waste Management Board at (916) 341-6603 or write the board at 1001 I Street, PO Box 4025, Sacramento, CA 95812-4025.
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