How buying pre-loved helps avoid single-use

One of the easiest ways to avoid plastic packaging is to jump into the treasure-trove that is the second hand market.

I met Darryl Nichols today, co-founder of the Garage Sale Trail, and what an inspiring guy he is. So inspiring that I'm posting about it!

The Garage Sale Trail is "Australia’s big weekend of GOOD STUFF" making it easy for us to embrace pre-loved during a national event of garage sales each October (or yard sales/ jumble sales for those outside Australia!).

What started with the Bondi community in 2010 has grown to international proportions, with the UK jumping on board and more than 15,000 sales happening around Aus each year.

I've blogged before about my long-time love affair with second hand, and the benefits of embracing thrift shopping.

READ MORE: Get your thrift on: How to embrace second hand

A wardrobe made up of mostly second-hand pieces is a happy wardrobe - and one of the easiest ways to cut plastic!

And as we get into Plastic Free July, of course another added benefit of buying pre-loved means we avoid more of that icky, annoying new-product-single-use-plastic-packaging.

Yes, most things probably originally came wrapped in soft plastic - or worse, styrofoam - but by purchasing second hand we're helping to reduce the need for new materials.

I've bought (or salvaged) something second hand from almost every category - furniture for my house, clothing - of course!, jewellery and accessories, craft supplies, hardwood decking, stuff for my dog... the list goes on.

You want it? Someone is almost definitely selling it.

Other than scouring garage sales and second-hand stores, jump online to sites like ebay and Gumtree (Australia again!), app’s for fashion like Depop, check out your local markets and carboot sales, and hit up those charity shops.

You never know what treasures people trash!

-  Ash