From trash to treasure: give where you live

Posted on: July 14, 2023

If you’ve ever tried to declutter your place, you may have found yourself a little unsure about where to find the best homes for your pre-loved items.

Dropping them off at an Op Shop is certainly one way to extend their lifespan, but there is another option, which also has the advantage of being a treasure trove of amazing finds. Enter Buy Nothing Facebook groups – your local 24/7 ‘Op Shop’– where everything is free!

Think global, act local
The Buy Nothing Project began in the US in 2013, initially as a one-off Facebook campaign. Today, it’s a global phenomenon of community-based groups in many countries encouraging the giving of consumer goods and services instead of mainstream consumption.

In a nutshell
A Buy Nothing group is a hyper-local Facebook group where people can gift items locally which they no longer want or ask for things they need; you’re not permitted to ask for money or trade.

Buy Nothing groups were intended for you to “give where you live.” Their goal is to bring local communities together to share resources by gifting directly to the end-user.

Reap the rewards
Here’s just a few of the benefits of joining your local group.

Save money: You’ll spend less, and help to reduce the demand for more of those items to be produced.

Save time: Being very localised, the pick-up distance is always short.

Reduce waste: Gifting directly to the end-user gives an item another chance at life, rather than ending up in a landfill.
Rethink consumption: Being part of a sharing community helps you to be more intentional with your purchases.

Create connections in your community: Gifting is a great way to get to know your neighbours.

It’s not just clothes, toys, appliances and tools. How about those pantry items you’ve been hanging on to, or a surplus of home-grown produce? It could also be a call out for items that are needed or something to borrow for that one-off project.

Find your local
Buy Nothing is already a global reuse economy with huge social and environmental impact. Building on our Buy Nothing communities will empower each of us to keep even more items in use, while simultaneously strengthening our communities.

To find your local group, search for “Buy Nothing” plus your suburb on Facebook, or click here for a searchable list of WA communities.