Give your stuff a second life

Reuse was how our grandparents rolled. It just made sense. Stuff was precious and often hard to come by. As things have got cheaper and faster to make, we now dispose of them more frequently across a lifetime, than ever before.

But reuse is back.

Now it’s about rethinking the take-make-waste mindset and understanding that what, and how we buy stuff impacts not just our hip pocket, but the entire planet.

Little acts of impact

By giving your stuff a second life in a new home, the value of all the effort and resources used to create it is multiplied. Reuse is one way of making sure our stuff lives on to do good. But are there other ways to give your stuff a chance of a new start? Yes babes, thanks for asking.

Refuse unnecessary stuff. First things first, decline products which are over packaged and in quantities you will never be able to use. No one needs 14 copies of the Ray Hadley Christmas Album when honestly, one is probably too many, amirite? Politely let gifts that you don’t adore be re-gifted. And say no to single-use items so they remain with their place of purchase. Sure, you can throw a little sass as you do it.

Buy well made stuff once. Just say no to stuff you don’t love and that doesn’t love you back. Shop the classics, the simple and well-made stuff. Choose the Paris of the Blender world, and not the Paris Hilton. You’ll thank us.

Maintain and prolong our good stuff by repair and refurbishing. Join a Men’s or (Wo)men’s Shed, sister. Stitch those holes up. Sew a button back on it babe. Goddarn it, learn to darn it. There’s about a gazillion ways you can fix the stuff you have. It's so hot. It's Nana craft, but it’s also so very now.

Multiply the good stuff we have by sharing and reusing. Find multiple functions for your stuff. Buy second hand first. Sell your gear, give it away, donate it. Use a tool share, a car share, a house share (if you’re feeling brave). Sharing is caring and it's good for you, and your community.

Recycle what you can and dispose thoughtfully of the stuff we can’t. This is the last resort people, the last. It does mean your stuff has a chance of living on, if only as a reimagined version of itself. Understand what goes where and become a king of this recycling thing.

In line with current restrictions, Saturday and Sunday, November 21 and 22 have been earmarked for the annual Garage Sale Trail.

With ways to be involved both online and in the real world, this year's event is set to be bigger than ever.

Registrations open in mid September 2020 at garagesaletrail.com.au

With thanks to Garage Sale Trail