TRANSCRIPT
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 is set to take place during the next two weekends, with the support of over 80 local councils, giving people an opportunity to sell any unwanted items.
Over half a million people are expected to get involved, with at least 15,000 garage sales expected to take place across the country.
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 will purchase 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, C-E-O 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, who's taking part in the Penrith council's garage sale this weekend, 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.
With the holiday season just around the corner, Ms Matheson says the Garage Sale Trail could provide some much-needed solutions.
"The Garage Sale Trail's a really good opportunity to maybe pass on some of the books, maybe DVDs that you don't use anymore, kid's toys... Because people are looking for Christmas presents and not everyone can afford to buy brand new stuff. And if it's second-hand that's in perfect condition, that's a really good opportunity for people to get some Christmas gifts that are not going to really blow the budget but are also going to be quite environmental."
The Garage Sale Trail's Nicola Bates invites those who have their own items they wish to give away to get involved with the initiative.
She also 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 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."
