English
An idea born from two friends in Sydney's eastern suburbs has now turned into a nationwide event to support the environment.
The Garage Sale Trail took place in December, with the support of over 80 local councils, giving people an opportunity to sell any unwanted items.
Nicola Bates from the Garage Sale Trail explains how the initiative was born.
"So, Garage Sale Trail is a not-for-profit social enterprise and it was founded by two Sydney friends, Darryl (Nichols) and Andrew (Valder) and the whole goal was to educate Australians on the importance of re-using and recycling and the need to take responsibility for the impact and our consumption habits."
Data from the Australian Fashion Council shows every person in Australia purchases at least 56 new clothing items per year.
84 per cent of them will end up in landfill, thrown to waste by their owners, placing an extra burden on the environment.
Gayle Sloan, CEO of the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia says the re-use of items, such as clothes, ensures that natural resources can remain unharmed.
"By using less for longer, we're not actually buying other products. Because we know that buying other products often means using more virgin material and 80 per cent of emissions comes from (the) extraction of virgin material. So we're using less. That's why we've actually got to look at different ownership models. Sometimes it's re-use, sometimes it's shared, sometimes it's leased. So, we're not actually taking more materials out of the planet to buy new. So, we should keep materials circulating for as long as we possibly can."
But there seems to be a shift in the behaviour of Australians regarding their disposable items.
A report from the Garage Sale Trail and PayPal has revealed that 83 per cent of those asked were willing to sell them, rather than simply getting rid of them.
Freelance journalist Melissa Matheson attributes this movement to the younger generation of Australians.
"They're really dragging the rest of us along, which is great! They've made it fun and something to sort of aspire to, rather than, you know, when I was a teenager, you went to OP-shops or either army service things for cargo pants, or you went to buy a costume for a fancy-dress party. So, they've really changed the conversation around second-hand garments and I think, all credit to them, they're really encouraging the rest of us to do better with our shopping."
Apart from supporting the environment, there are other benefits to second-hand shopping that younger Australians appear to have identified.
This recent trend seems to be boosted by the rise in cost-of-living, pushing shoppers to search for opportunities in the unwanted items of other people.
The Garage Sale Trail's Nicola Bates provides a hint for first-time second-hand shoppers.
"The first thing to note is, there's still time to get organised if you want to host your own garage sale, even though we're days away. You can do it very quickly and easily. And if you are a shopper, the first thing I would suggest is to jump on to the Garage Sale Trail website and search your local area. Or not even local area, just search some sales around you and start spotting out a little map so you can shop the trail."
Although for some they may be considered a relic of the past, garage sales are making a strong comeback, with at least 14,000 held in the previous year.
The Garage Sale Trail hopes to exceed that figure within a single month, while aiming to give a new lease on life to many unused materials and items.
Environmental groups, such as the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia, say this type of community action should have more support.
"I just think the Garage Sale Trail mindset initiative is a terrific process to couple with your council clean-ups because not everyone in the cost-of-living crisis can afford to buy new, so it's a great way to keep products circulating and help others, and help yourself, to get access to products rather than throwing it into landfill, so it should be supported."
Italian
Un'idea nata da due amici degli Eastern Suburbs di Sydney si è trasformata in un evento nazionale a sostegno dell'ambiente.
Il Garage Sale Trail si è svolto a dicembre, con il sostegno di oltre 80 amministrazioni locali, offrendo ai cittadini l'opportunità di vendere gli oggetti indesiderati.
Nicola Bates del Garage Sale Trail ha spiegato come è nata l'iniziativa.
"So, Garage Sale Trail is a not-for-profit social enterprise and it was founded by two Sydney friends, Darryl (Nichols) and Andrew (Valder) and the whole goal was to educate Australians on the importance of re-using and recycling and the need to take responsibility for the impact and our consumption habits."
I dati dell'Australian Fashion Council mostrano che ogni persona in Australia acquista almeno 56 nuovi capi di abbigliamento all'anno.
L'84% di questi finirà in discarica, gettato dai proprietari, con un ulteriore aggravio sull’ambiente.
Per Gayle Sloan, CEO dell' Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia, il riutilizzo di articoli, come i vestiti, garantisce che le risorse naturali rimangano intatte.
"By using less for longer, we're not actually buying other products. Because we know that buying other products often means using more virgin material and 80 per cent of emissions comes from (the) extraction of virgin material. So we're using less. That's why we've actually got to look at different ownership models. Sometimes it's re-use, sometimes it's shared, sometimes it's leased. So, we're not actually taking more materials out of the planet to buy new. So, we should keep materials circulating for as long as we possibly can."
Sembra però che il comportamento degli australiani nei confronti degli oggetti usa e getta stia cambiando.
Un rapporto del Garage Sale Trail e di PayPal ha rivelato che l'83% degli intervistati è disposto a venderli, anziché a sbarazzarsene.
La giornalista freelance Melissa Matheson attribuisce questo movimento alle nuove generazioni di australiani.
"They're really dragging the rest of us along, which is great! They've made it fun and something to sort of aspire to, rather than, you know, when I was a teenager, you went to OP-shops or either army service things for cargo pants, or you went to buy a costume for a fancy-dress party. So, they've really changed the conversation around second-hand garments and I think, all credit to them, they're really encouraging the rest of us to do better with our shopping."
Oltre a sostenere l'ambiente, gli acquisti di seconda mano presentano altri vantaggi che i giovani australiani sembrano aver individuato.
Questa recente tendenza sembra essere favorita dall'aumento del costo della vita, che spinge gli acquirenti a cercare opportunità negli oggetti indesiderati di altre persone.
Nicola Bates di Garage Sale Trail ha dato un suggerimento per chi si avvicina per la prima volta agli acquisti di seconda mano.
"The first thing to note is, there's still time to get organised if you want to host your own garage sale, even though we're days away. You can do it very quickly and easily. And if you are a shopper, the first thing I would suggest is to jump on to the Garage Sale Trail website and search your local area. Or not even local area, just search some sales around you and start spotting out a little map so you can shop the trail."
Anche se per alcuni possono essere considerate una reliquia del passato, le garage sales stanno tornando in auge: l'anno scorso se ne sono tenute almeno 14.000.
Il Garage Sale Trail spera di superare questa cifra in un solo mese, con l'obiettivo di dare una nuova vita a molti materiali e oggetti inutilizzati.
Per i gruppi ambientalisti, come la Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia, questo tipo di azione comunitaria dovrebbe avere un maggiore sostegno.
"I just think the Garage Sale Trail mindset initiative is a terrific process to couple with your council cleanups because not everyone in the cost-of-living crisis can afford to buy new, so it's a great way to keep products circulating and help others, and help yourself, to get access to products rather than throwing it into landfill, so it should be supported."
