Buy second-hand products
From eBay to the trading post, garage sales to the local op shop, there are a host of ways to grab a second-hand bargain. The common adage that a new car loses 20 per cent of its value when you drive it off the lot applies even more so to most other goods. By getting into second-hand gear you'll save thousands of dollars every year; discounts on second-hand items would put most sales to shame. Need a T-shirt? You can spend up to $100 on a new one or browse your local op shop and pick one up for $2, with the proceeds going to charity. From an environmental perspective, purchasing second-hand goods extends the life of the thing you are buying and defers or avoids the need for more resources to be used in making a new product.
How to do it now!
Visit your local op shop - Op shops exist to provide cheap goods and support charities focused at helping the poor and ailing members of our community. They are generally staffed by volunteers and always have a bargain or two; or three...
- St Vincent De Paul Store - 162 Rusden Street, Armidale NSW 2350, Tel (02) 6772 1492
- Lifeline - 113 Beady St Armidale NSW 2350, Tel (02) 6771 4950
- The Smith Family
- Australian Red Cross
- Savers
- The Salvation Army
- Brotherhood of St Laurence
Check out the Sunday Markets in the Mall held on the last Sunday of every month and garage sales - These are another source of great deals, and can also be an opportunity to meet your neighbours. Look for signs on a light pole, in the community paper or on café notice boards to find out where and when.
At the Armidale Farmers Market & Car Boot Sale you can find a real bargain and help reduce landfill by buying second hand.
Buy second hand goods online. Try reading The Choice Buying Guide: Second-Hand Goods', which describes the rights and responsibilities of buyers and sellers of second-hand goods.
Sites for buying (and selling) second-hand goods:
Sites for finding (and giving away) free goods:
- Freecycle - Australian Recyclers Community
- OzRecycle
- Gumtree
- Yours2Take (buy, sell, exchange for free)
Additional resources
- Etsy - An online community for buying and selling hand-made things (though not necessarily second-hand).
Why is this action important?
Reusing existing products has a two-fold effect on the environment. It reduces the need to extract more materials from nature and it circumvents large amount of concentrated (and often toxic) man-made materials entering the environment and having to be processed by nature.