IT’S NOT something people generally do on a regular basis – but that could be changing.
Not that long ago, neighbours and friends alike might have been aghast at the idea – picking up discarded furniture and household items left out for garbage pickup.
But no more.
By GREG McMILLAN / TheGreenHub.ca
FOR A variety of reasons, it may pay to take a long look at what many consider trash.
First off, there are often diamonds in the rough to be found. Quite bluntly, many homeowners simply can’t be bothered with arranging to dispose of an unwanted piece of furniture, and simply drag it out to the street.
Secondly, snatching a curbside gem helps keep it out of a landfill site.
And thirdly, reusing and recycling at this kind of level buys into the new green mentality – which includes a frugality and thriftiness. That like-new computer desk or kitchen table at the end of someone’s driveway? Guess what, it’s free.
And it should also come as no surprise to realize that there are entrepreneurs out there, right now, who regularly scour the streets looking for salvageable throwaways, then sell them later. That might not be everyone’s cup of tea, for sure, but that doesn’t mean it hurts to keep one’s eyes open when out and about in the community.
But that’s not the only way to come across household items at no cost. There is an international organization, with a website, www.freecycle.org, that posts available items. The site is broken down into various cities and towns, and even has one for Brantford. For more information, e-mail at brantfordfreecycle-owner@yahoogroups.ca
And, just down the road, in Hamilton, there is a very active Freecycle board, with many free items available. For each available item, there’s accompanying contact information and a description. All you have to do is arrange for a pickup.
By the way, according to the website, The Freecycle Network is made up of 5,019 groups with 8,848,733 members around the world. “It’s a grassroots and entirely non-profit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns.”
The bottom line – you just never know what you might come across – on the street or through services such as Freecycle.
Today, more and more people are proudly frugal, proudly thrifty. To be honest, it’s also becoming cool [again], and there’s proof to back that up.
AROUND THE GREEN HUB
Last week, the Conservative government pulled the plug on its national $400-million ecoENERGY Retrofit program, which, with cash incentives, encouraged homeowners to retrofit old roofs, windows and insulation with eco-friendly alternatives. In an upcoming Green Matters column, we will look into the ramifications of the move, and speak to Todd Downey, vice-president of operations at Energuy Canada, a Brantford-based energy auditing company ….
…. Flying under the radar recently was the third annual Seedy Saturday event in Brantford. But the success of the venture – which boasted 700 bags of seeds up for exchange and 200 attendees – demonstrated that not only are people looking for bargains, but they are also becoming more aware of the value of growing vegetables and taking the plunge to produce their own produce. The vendors, including the Brant Community Garden Project, RainBarrel.ca, Seeds of Diversity, the Brantford Garden Club and Jaydancin.com, also offered gardening tips and showcased a variety of organic products …
…. As promised, we plan to talk more about an ambitious community art project in the works for the Eagle Place area. Irena Zenewych, visual arts instructor with the Arts After School Kids program, tells Green Matters about the idea: “It will be an installation of a large mosaic made of recycled items from the Habitat for Humanity Brant ReStore, set in concrete,” she says. “The concrete will be in a steel frame and mounted (in a way yet to be determined) at one of the gateways to Eagle Place. The theme is ‘Eagles.’” Intrigued? We’ll go into more detail in next week’s column …
Greg McMillan is a founding partner at TheGreenHub.ca – Canada’s green news and information web portal. Feel free to contact greg@thegreenhub.ca with any comments or suggestions for topics to be covered in the Green Matters column. That could mean green lifestyle, business or human-interest items, including any personal or school-related projects or initiatives. We’ll write about people who live in The Green Hub area, which includes Brantford, Six Nations, Brant, Norfolk and Haldimand counties. Also, follow us on Twitter / @the_green_hub and @TheHubMan or Facebook / thegreenhub
Such was the case this week at Norfolk General Hospital. General access to a ward there was suspended as the hospital attempts to manage the outbreak “with the most aggressive prevention and control measures.”
