Q: How should I get rid of unrecyclable household junk?
A: How do we accumulate so much stuff? All the random clutter in my house would make it hard for me to be a nomad. It’d be tough to get any roaming done with my boxes of old linens and fabric scraps strapped to my back.
On the heels of Waste Reduction Week, let’s divide all our unused items into three categories, shall we? The stuff other people could use, the stuff other people could recycle and the stuff you could upcycle into cool new usables.
Let’s start with category one. A thick layer of dust gathered on an item in your home may be a sign it’s time to donate or sell. But what if you don’t really want to toss your blender or ladder? You’d just rather see it get used more. Time to share it with your ‘hood!
The U.S. is full of super-cool share-friendly websites like Sharesomesugar.com, and I’m happy to report that one of them has finally made its way to Canada. NeighborGoods.net lets you register the random items you have to share and tap into a network of nearby peeps who’d like to borrow them. And of course, when you need a ladder for your weekend project, a camp stove for your week in the woods, a high chair for your visiting nephew, a cat crate for your vet visit or folding chairs for your party, you can, in turn, borrow from them, too.
You can even differentiate between “friends” who can borrow for free and others whom you can charge a security deposit or a rental fee to make a little cash. Got trust issues? Just share within your own custom group. To boost security, lenders can rate each other on their borrowing abilities (and red-flag anyone who returns stuff chipped or late).
You’ll love this, really, because you can borrow from a broader network without going out and buying something you’ll use twice that then goes to waste.
The network’s new to Toronto and definitely needs more lenders, so sign up your goods, people. I’m talking tools, garden supplies, kids’ stuff, electronics, movies/games/books, home/office/art/craft supplies, spaces, costumes (hello, Halloween!), party goods, even cars and random stuff like jumper cables.
Now, what if you just want to purge a bunch of household stuff but don’t want to landfill it? Check out Toronto-based WasteNothing.ca. It’s a handy new waste reduction tool that lets you type in the name of the thing you want to get rid of and returns a list of options for what to do with it. That list could include telling you which garbage/recycling/compost bin it belongs in, which charities would appreciate it (Habitat for Humanity, the Furniture Bank, women’s shelters) as well as where you could sell (craigslist.ca/kijiji.ca/oodle.com) or swap it (Swapsity.ca lets you barter/trade your pre-loved items, skills, talents or time for someone else’s).
The site lets you add your own creative suggestions on what to do with an item, too.
Speaking of creativity, you can, as option number three, get really crafty and dream up fabulous new ways to make something altogether fresh with some of your old unwanted goods (turn old film slides into a new lamp shade, your old single-pane windows into picture frames). Yes, upcycling gives your stuff a crack at reincarnation. For the creator, it’s kind of like past life therapy.
Got a good upcycling idea? Submit it to Earth Day Canada’s Upcycling Challenge by November 27. It’s all about the importance of reuse and waste reduction through repurposing. Film or photograph your step-by-step tutorial so folks can learn from your green teachings.
Whatever you do, make the trash can your absolute last resort. Lord knows the dump isn’t lonely for more stuff. And, really, one woman’s trash is definitely another’s upcycled, swapped or borrowed treasure.
Got a question?
Send your green queries to ecoholic@nowtoronto.com
