So true the phrase – “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. For me, I realize most of my furnishings and accessories are indeed second-hand. Thanks to the habits of my mother, I get great enjoyment shopping consignment shops, yard sales, antique shops and Ebay too 
for those wonderful finds, especially when I end up paying considerably less than the value. I wonder what the past life of a particular piece was …where did it come from…. who lived in the house…what stories could it tell me.
So as it turns out, my mother with all of her treasure hunting over the years and many wonderful things to pass on, has been practicing and modeling an eco-friendly habit and didn’t really even know it until now. Re-sale and consignment shops are on the rise in large part of the economy and for a better reason, the environment. And now this can encourage conscious thinking about giving an item another life be it an article of clothing, furniture or book and keeping it out of the landfill.
Look around your home – what do you have that can be passed on down the line? What do you have that needs to be cleared out and shared with another who can use it? What can you buy used instead of brand new?
Whether it’s trash or treasure, here are a eight resources for finding and giving…
BetterWorld Books: With over two million new and used books in stock, BWB has salvaged over 29 million books from landfills, has funded over 6.5 million dollars for literacy and education and donated over one million books to partner programs around the world. Here you can sell or donate your old books or buy new or used with free shipping always. From my own experience, customer service is top notch and shipping is fast.
Habitat for Humanity : Habitat ReStores are outlets that accept donated goods for resale. While every ReStore is a little different, most focus on home improvement goods—furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances. When we donated an old washer and dryer, they gladly picked it up from our house.
Goodwill: New stores seem to be popping up everywhere and with clean layouts and easy drop offs, this is a great place to find treasures or donate items that still have more life in them.
Freecycle: An entirely nonprofit movement of giving and getting items for free within organized groups in participating local communities. Search to find a group in your area.
Local Consignment Shops: Great way to move unwanted items out of your home and make a little money at the same time. Here are a few sites to find local consignment and resale shops in your neck of the woods.
Local Animal Shelters or Rescue Facilities: Many will gladly accept old bedding and pillows for their animals in need. Search the ASPCA for a facility near you.
1-800 Got Junk: From old furniture and appliances to garden waste and renovation debris, 1-800 Got Junk will remove and haul away these kinds of items, plus donate and recycle as much as possible.
Ebay: The online marketplace to buy or sell whatever your heart desires- need I say more?
Trash or treasure…the choice is yours.
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