Don’t dump it - donate, upcycle or fix it
Don’t automatically send unwanted inorganic things to the dump - you may have something others want to use or repair.
They say one person’s trash is another’s treasure and that’s certainly the case when it comes to the things we throw into landfill.
Items that are bent, broken or simply no longer needed are regularly discarded by householders – either through their council’s inorganic collection or a dump-run to the local tip. For example - the most commonly thrown away items in Auckland Council’s inorganic collection, for example, include TVs (both the old style and flat screens), washing machines, fridges, bikes and small appliances as well as pots, plates and cutlery.
Many of these have been thrown away because they need a quick fix up; a new chain on the bike, the catch replaced on the toasted sandwich maker, or a hose repair on a vacuum cleaner.
Rather than sending them to the eternity of your local landfill, take a second look at your unwanted items and try and find a new home for them.
LOOK TO YOUR COMMUNITY
If you take a closer look at any community you’ll find a hive of local industry. There will be people wanting old crockery to use for mosaic making, a sewing group looking for clothes to be upcycled, a bike repair workshop on the hunt for unwanted bikes. Tapping into these can be an excellent way of finding out about what’s going on in your own patch and keep your inorganics in the circular economy.
USE THE ‘FREE STUFF’ SECTION
One of the most popular sections on the social community website Neighbourly.co.nz is the free stuff category. It’s an easy way for neighbours to offer their unwanted things to those that live nearby and is a great way to get to know others in your street.
DONATE IT TO CHARITY
Charity shops (sometimes called op shops) accept donations of some items in resellable condition which they sell to raise money for their cause. There are a number of items that can’t be accepted due to health and safety reasons, so always check first to see what they can take. And please, only take items for donation during the store’s opening hours.
LEARN HOW TO FIX IT
For those who don’t know how to go about fixing appliances a repair cafe is a great solution.
A repair cafe is a free face-toface meeting of skilled volunteers and local residents who want things fixed. Many run as a weekly, monthly or seasonal ‘‘drop-in’’ space at a local workshop or community centre.
Visitors bring broken items from home and watch, learn or help as the repairs get done. Some things are fixed during the event, while for more challenging items people might be referred to local specialty repair shops.
Repair cafes offer a great environment to learn new skills and meet others in the community and keep fixable items out of landfill.
Contact your local council for other ways to donate and upcycle unwanted items.