Shawn Dell Joyce
Mon, 24 Mar 2014 21:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

Freecycling to Keep Usable Things Out of The Waste Stream

Each one of us produces 1.2 tons of garbage per year, which is mainly bagged household trash. What's not included in that figure are all the perfectly usable goods that get thrown out each year such as old furniture, clothes, books, obsolete technology and working appliances.
Updated: Tue Mar 25, 2014

Freecycling to Keep Usable Things Out of The Waste Stream

Each one of us produces 1.2 tons of garbage per year, which is mainly bagged household trash. What's not included in that figure are all the perfectly usable goods that get thrown out each year such as old furniture, clothes, books, obsolete technology and working appliances.

Many of these items are yard sale fodder or can be found parked by the curb with a "free" sign attached. If you can't find what you need through curb shopping or the classifieds, try websites like Craigslist and Freecycle. You can pretty much search any category — from ab workout machines to xylophones — and find what you need. For cash-strapped families or people who just wish to avoid adding to the consumerist culture, buying secondhand is the way to go.

The good news is that it creates a larger economic impact in your local community when you buy something used from a neighbor than new from a big box store. In addition to filling your home with beautiful, new-to-you furniture, it helps reduce the solid waste stream flowing into our landfills. It takes a lot of energy and resources to produce new consumer goods each year. By reusing items, we extend the lifecycle of that good and reduce the environmental impact of our purchase.

In my circle of friends, we frequently exchange garbage bags full of used clothing. We often have parties centered on trading clothes or hand-made things. Some of these parties have been open to the public and leftover clothes were donated to families of migrant workers.

There are a few stores that cater to a reusing crowd; Goodwill and Salvation Army stores are great for clothing and housewares. Plus many vintage clothes boutiques sell haute couture used clothing. Habitat for Humanity runs its own Restore outlets across the country for reusable building materials. Many municipalities have nonprofit programs to reduce solid waste and retail directly to schools, homeowners and businesses.

A paradigm is a collection of assumptions, concepts, believes and values that together make up a community's way of viewing reality. Our current paradigm dictates that more stuff is better, that infinite economic growth is desirable and possible and that pollution is the price of progress. To really turn things around, we need to nurture a different paradigm based on the values of sustainability, justice, health and community.

My Irish ancestors had a philosophy of "make do with less" and "want what you have." This paradigm shapes a resilient culture that thrives on minimal goods and builds community rather than personal wealth. Many of our grandparents survived the Great Depression and learned to live simply. Hopefully, we don't have to suffer through that deep of an economic drop before we adopt voluntary simplicity.

Shawn Dell Joyce is an award-winning columnist and founder of the Wallkill River School in Orange County, N.Y. You can contact her at Shawn@ShawnDellJoyce.com. To find out more about Shawn Dell Joyce and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.