I'm frequently astonished by the things that people put out with their trash. (Notice I didn't say "the things that people throw away" because I've already gone off on how there's no such thing as "throwing things away"--it's just throwing things someplace else.) On my morning walk with the dog today, I saw these two chairs, pictured above. There was absolutely nothing wrong with them, except that the owner seemed to have up-and-decided he didn't want them in his house anymore (which is fair enough--it's his house). But my goodness, it's just so incredibly lazy. If he had put those chairs out on the curb one day earlier with a "FREE" sign on them, they would have been snapped up within an hour--two hours, tops. I'd wager good money on it, because I've done it myself many, many times over the years. (Bookcase: two hours. Desk: one hour. Skis: ten minutes. It's amazing just how quickly "free" stuff disappears.)
Not only can you list your unwanted things on eBay and CraigsList to profit from your "junk", but there's also www.freecycle.org if you just want it gone. In addition, I can't even begin to count the number of mail solicitations I get from charities that will pick up certain items from my house and give me a tax deduction in return. Of course, with more effort, you can arrange a yard sale and get all the stuff out in one fell swoop. (I'm organizing a spring yard sale with a couple of neighbors--that's a story for a future post.) But really, if you're just going to haul the stuff out to your curb anyway, why not set it out a few days before trash day with a "FREE" sign and see how long it takes before somebody decides that your trash is his treasure? This country is positively crawling with SUVs, mini-vans, and pick-up trucks, so it's easier than ever for somebody to drive by, load it into their vehicle, and poof! Off it goes, out of your life--and even better, out of the landfill.
Back when "Oprah" was still on the air, I watched a show where she was highlighting the garbage problem in America (because you already know I'm a tad obsessed with this topic). Reporter Lisa Ling was the guest, and she went on a trip with her camera crew to a landfill outside of New York City, where they were just in time to film a big hauler unceremoniously dumping a grand piano down the cliff onto a massive mountain of garbage. A grand piano! Where does the madness end when somebody can't be bothered to find a better home for a grand piano than the dump? (Turns out that dumping pianos at landfills is pretty common, because I couldn't find the Lisa Ling clip, but I did find the following piece. It causes me visceral pain.)
But back to those two chairs at the top of the post. They're in my garage right now. Yep. I took the dog home and drove over, lickety-split, narrowly beating the garbage truck to them. I'm sure they'll do great at that yard sale in the spring, along with the six (yes, six!) perfectly good dining room chairs that somebody else tossed out two weeks ago (those are in my basement). Am I embarrassed at picking up things that others have cast off? Nope. Because in my view, they're the ones who should be embarrassed at not making the very little effort it would have taken to get rid of their "junk" more responsibly in the first place. When it comes to getting rid of things you no longer want or need, it's all about harnessing the amazingly quick and easy power of "free."
Food for thought: How do you get rid of furniture, toys, sports equipment, and other items that you no longer want? Is there something in your house right now that you can get rid of quickly and responsibly, just by making a "FREE" sign? Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
******************************************************************************************************
A Note about Subscriptions, Sharing, and Comments: If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe to the blog and receive new posts delivered directly to your inbox. Just enter your email address under "Categories" on the home page. Already subscribed? Please share posts on Facebook, Twitter, email, and out there in the "real" world. (There are social media sharing buttons at the end of each post on the main site.) To comment (and please do!): If you're a subscriber and you get this blog delivered to your phone or iPad, click on the blue title at the top of the post to get to the main site. Then you will see the Comments section at the end of the post. Thanks for reading Joyfully Green!
******************************************************************************************************************************
(c) 2013 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. Photograph and text digitally fingerprinted and protected by MyFreeCopyright.com.
