One resident in Warwick, New York, posted photos of their community's recent swap event where members could give away and pick up gently used items for free.
The Redditor shared the pictures from the event in the r/ZeroWaste subreddit with the caption, "Too Good to Toss donation day." At this annual event, members of the community can drop off items they no longer need and then return the next day to pick out anything they could use — and it's all free.
The photos show a wide array of items, including furniture, kitchen appliances, and toys. With so many items to choose from, residents were advised to bring carts or even luggage to help carry out all their treasures.
Events like this that help people exchange items for low or no cost can make a sizable dent in consumer spending. According to ValuePenguin, American households spend an average of $2,346 a year on home furnishings alone. Community members who scored furniture, appliances, and home decor at the Too Good to Toss event saved themselves potentially thousands of dollars.
While shopping secondhand saves people major cash, it also helps save the planet. The World Counts reported that around the world, humans produce 2.12 billion tons of waste every single year. This staggering number is partly due to the fact that 99% of what we purchase gets tossed out within six months. Donating and recycling what we no longer need and buying used items instead of new ones reduces waste and pollution.
Our future will look much brighter with less methane-producing waste piling up in landfills and fewer extreme weather events worsened by a chaotic climate. There are some great organizations helping consumers recycle their old stuff and get credit or cash to put toward their shopping lists.
Got Sneakers offers compensation for each pair of donated sneakers. ThredUP provides credit to users who send in a bag of used clothing and textiles. You can get even more in exchange for your recycled clothes by using For Days.
Other Redditors loved seeing photos from the Too Good to Toss event. One user said, "So awesome!"
"Never seen anything like that before," another commented.
A third pointed out how great their own experience has been exchanging things for free with neighbors, writing, "It's nice to get and give free stuff!"
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