I live in an apartment building where people love to throw out perfectly good products. I have been able to completely furnish my apartment with things that have been thrown out. Today I found two comfy chairs that look and smell new. I understand that people may get new stuff, but why not give to someone who can use it rather than throw it out?
What else I have found in the trash and what it would have cost to buy second-hand/new: 40 inch perfect Sony CRT TV set($100), 1 perfect floor indirect halogen light($50), 1 tilting/swivel desk chair probably worth ($75), 1 Vacuum cleaner ($100), 1 flashlight ($10), 1 bamboo organizational container ($10), 1 plastic organizer ($5), 1 Metal Asian style vase($50(still has sticker). So $400 I have saved by recycling. There are even things that I didn’t salvage because I didn’t need them: 1 beautiful love seat ($100), 1 student desk ($100) (solid wood), 3 mattresses (good condition-$100), 1 blender (works-plugged it in $50).
I do not go to the trash everyday so I am probably missing even better stuff. In the past when I didn’t want/need something I would put it in the alley on top of my garbage lid and see how long it would take to disappear. Normally it was gone in 30 minutes. I lived in a middle class neighborhood and everything that I put out someone apparently could use.
I like that we can reuse instead of throwing away things. I understand that people’s time is valuable and they may not want to bother with what they consider junk, but a Goodwill is literally 15 minutes away in the car, and The Salvation Army is 20 minutes away. With so much economic difficulty in the US now why wouldn’t someone think of this? I am not judging those who throw things away, just curious how things have so little value.
P.S. Thanks for a reader who wrote in with other suggestions of places that do pick up donations.
Another one is Purple Heart Veterans organization
Another one is Brown Elephant in Chicago.
New Finds: Brand new ethernet cable ($5), 5 CD’s in perfect condition in their cases ($25), 1 Couch good condition ($50), 2 high bar chairs ($50), 1 princess Diana coffee book perfect condition ($25), 1 electric fan new condition ($40).
Grand Total: $600 in stuff I’ve kept.
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