A box of free stuff on the sidewalk left for others to take (NYC)
As a 20-something living in Manhattan with two roommates, we have little space to store excess stuff. To make the most of precious space, we’re constantly ridding ourselves of knick knacks, clothes and all variety of household goods and accessories. But where to send them so that they don’t end up in a landfill? Following are some inventive ways I have found to get rid of excess stuff without being wasteful.
1. Sell it. Pretty much anything can sell. Marketed with the right web-post tactics on the right website with an attractive photo, even something that seems useless to you might be a rarity to another. This is particularly useful for city-dwellers, where there are thousands of potential buyers in one dense neighborhood. Craigslist and eBay are two excellent selling sources. Some things that I have sold via Craig
slist include beat up luggage, pots and pans, mini-dv tapes for an outdated video camera, and even a box of coffee sleeves (for only 5 cents, but this still kept them out of the trash).
2. Swap it. It’s quite simple to find someone in a city who would like that no longer needed book, CD, or kitchen gadget, and chances are, they’ll have something you’d like in return. Multiple websites cater to the needs of those who want to swap instead of sell (and avoid payment issues with online buyers.) Swap.com is a personal favorite of mine.
3. Salvation Army it. Whatever they don’t take, chances are there are several other organizations in your area, including used bookstores, consignment stores, Goodwill, and Habitat for Humanity, who will gladly “recycle” your little used household items, toys and even un-opened toothbrushes, to those in need.
4. Sidewalk it. If you live in a neighborhood that is anywhere near as crowded as mine, hundreds of people walk down your block each day; surely one of them will snap up whatever you choose to put in their path. Creativity counts, though! Put your things curbside soon after the trash has already been collected, clearly labeled with a post-it that says “Free! Please Take Me”. I have used this method for plastic storage bins, old belts, and even a bottle of shampoo. Chances are, within minutes someone will grab your abandoned article. Score!
What inventive ways do you get rid of stuff while ensuring it doesn’t go to waste?
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Freecycle is another option for giving stuff away. (www.freecycle.org) You sign up for your local network, which allows you to post your unwanted items and see what others need. I wanted to offload a big stack of National Geographic magazines, but couldn’t bear to send those beauties to be recycled after one reading. As a result of my posting, I was able to give some to a middle school teacher for her class, and the rest to someone who makes collages.
Earth911.org is a great website for finding local recycling centers (by zip code) for many categories of merchandise, from cars to electronics to paint.
Though there are many places to drop off old cell phones (see Earth911), some of them hold their value. Gazelle.com is one of the websites you can use to find out how much yours are worth, and get a pre-paid shipping label. Then just put them in the mail and wait for the check. 🙂
I work at a creative reuse center in Portland, OR called SCRAP where people donate things like fabric, paint, crafting materials, gift wrap, old magazines, baby food jars, bottle caps, office supplies, etc. and we sell them back to the community for super cheap. While not every community has a creative reuse center, more and more are popping up. They are a great resource for getting rid of things that could potentially be use in arts and crafts and a great resource for artists who are Eco-conscious and/or on a budget.
Thanks so much for the additional suggestions Fredrica! Freecyle is definitely an excellent resource, especially in a big city.
And Dryden, SCRAP sounds like an excellent program to have in place. I have not heard of a broader-range program like SCRAP here in New York, but there are some similar programs. One example is Film Biz Recycling in Brooklyn (http://www.filmbizrecycling.org/) where they take old sets and props from film projects and redistribute them. It’s a great idea to reduce waste! Hopefully more organizations like SCRAP will pop up around the county.
Katherine
I am also getting rid of things as well and it’s oftentimes really difficult to find a good home for unwanted but beloved items. I started a “Free Store” on my university campus for this reason where people could leave unwanted items and pick up new goods. We called it the “Room of Requirement” (a cute name from The Harry Potter series) and had the administration dedicate a room to the store. I’ve seen free stores and trading sites all around in more crowded metropolitan areas but it would be great if more existed in suburban sprawls, like my hometown in Texas. This kind of swap also fosters a sense of community and value around our unwanted goods that reminds us that our resources are valuable- even if our knick-knacks are cheap! In the meantime I’ve been using Buffalo Exchange to sell old clothing and eBay for other goods. There’s even a new eBay phone app that makes the process extremely easy and addicting!
Hi Rachel,
Free Store is a great idea! Were you inspired by a program already existing on another campus?
While I was in college, a group on campus used to park themselves on one of the more frequented lawns with things for swap, which any student could contribute to or participate in. College campuses offer the perfect community and densely populated living spaces for programs like these, especially with dorm-living being so short-term and studying requiring short-use books.
Thanks for your comment,-
Katherine
Katherine you brought up some creative ways of reducing waste of still usable products!
Often times I feel that people will want to throw away products still in good condition, and donating these items to different organizations or selling them is always a plus in keeping them out of landfills! One of the best ideas I learned from a friend of mine is to take things and if you can’t donate them, turn them into a new product you do want! A great example is of broken china we had after a holiday party. Rather than throw out the broken pieces, I used them to decorate a plain box I had to store office supplies. The pattern design on the china made for a beautiful accent to the box, and gluing the pieces into shapes of flowers allowed me to add decoration to my room while avoiding having to throw out the majority of the broken pieces.
I also wanted to mention that the organization GrowNYC holds Stop-N-Swaps in all 5 boroughs of New York City, often in many populated neighborhoods. It’s a place where you can drop off your old items and can pick up any new ones you may like! Great way to contribute to cutting waste!
Hi Katherine,
Having just moved to New York City, I am recently able to relate to your lack of space and need to get rid of excess in your apartment. I as well live with two roommates, in an apartment with only one closet — so it has been a constant struggle for space since moving in.
Thanks for providing some ways to help get rid of your stuff. My roommates and I have started to take inventory of things we can get rid of in our apartment due to redundancy and are seeking ways to collaborate with others in the neighborhood. Recently, we were able to trade a ‘useless to us’ wine rack for a rustic table from someone in our building. We got rid of something we didn’t need and gained something awesome that rounds out our living room. I have a feeling this is just the beginning to a start of a swapping relationship!
Thanks for your best.
Best,
David
Hi Katherine,
From a fellow 20-something living in Manhattan: thanks for the great advice! I recently moved out here from Michigan, and it’s a little strange going from living in a house all my life to a smaller apartment. I’m finding myself running out of space pretty quickly but wasn’t sure what other options existed out here aside from selling things online. I’ll have to check out a Stop-N-Swap at some point to see what I can part with.
One thing that I think should be mentioned is that the best way to not have to deal with getting rid of stuff is… just not to buy it in the first place! Understandably, as consumers, there are things we need to buy to meet our basic necessities, but after compiling so much to the point where it takes time and effort to find ways to get rid of it encourages self-reflection. I know that everybody’s situation is not the same, and I am speaking from a personal point of view — I realized that I should cut down on buying “stuff” when I had trouble selling my clothing at second-hand stores. I bought clothes cheaply and impulsively in high school, and when my $15 H&M dress was worth nothing to resale stores, I realized it wasn’t worth buying in the first place. Buying waste creates waste. Since then, I have been more meditative before making an apparel purchase, and I think about long-term viability. Will I be wearing this jacket in 10 years? Will I pass this purse down onto my future child? Or will this just end up in the back of my closet, worthless to me and any place I try to resell it to.
I enjoyed this simple and to the point article about the importance of not blinding throwing away items that you no longer have a use for. And great comment Dina! This article could definitely be followed up with an article about how important it is to reduce consumption in the first place and how this could be done.