My First 'Real' Reuse Shopping Trip

In my real world, outside of my computer, I work for a bank that runs a super cool kids program for elementary children to teach financial literacy and responsibility. Older elementary-aged children create their own bank within their school--taking on roles like teller, CEO, or treasurer. My part in this picture is helping the kids create promotions to encourage other students to save money. This means that together we dream up ways to educate and incentivize saving money; most importantly, we try to make it fun for the whole school. This laundry list of intentions tends to use a fair bit of construction paper, as you'd imagine.

                                                          Photo taken by Jessica B.

Naturally, my first thought when given nearly a year full of programming was to visit the Reuse Centre! With the help of my co-lead, we put together a crafty Tickle Trunk that could rival even the most impressive DIYer collections. We found cool paper, felt bits, lace, colouring tools and even some administrative essentials like binders and duotangs for our board members. Being there made me realize how very possible it is to utilize the centre in a more regular, everyday way, especially when it comes to creative projects and the classroom. 

More than anything, I was inspired by Edmonton’s reuse community. Walking through the aisles of the Reuse Centre made me aware not only of the people who, in the middle of the Tuesday workday, took the time to shop unconventionally, but also of the people who realized that they had too much tile, paper, or too many bottle caps. These people saw value in these items beyond their own personal use and they took active steps to keep their unwanted items out of the waste system. These people believe in a community where trash is often also treasure, and I feel pretty proud to be part of it.

Many acknowledge that the best way to create a shift in our culture's value and waste practices is to start at home--shifting the way we, individually, interact with the endless mass of things that surround us and make way into our lives. Continuing to shop at the Reuse Centre and incorporating it into my programming allows me, in very small subtle ways, to start conversations about what these changes could look like in the worlds of students, customers and colleagues. For example, what if we reused our posters from week to week with minor tweaks, or what if we sought out promotional incentives that focused on experiences rather than new things? One member of my board of directors even suggested that we run tours of our "bank" for other students instead of sending them home with sugary treats or fidget spinners. Brilliant.

Onwards through 2020!

Photo and submission by Jess (Volunteer)

Tales from the Sales

Winter has a firm hold! I say that with a huge sigh because I love summer. This was my first summer in Edmonton and boy, was it a treat! The long days of sunshine, beautiful hikes, smell of fresh-cut grass, barbecues and of course, the GARAGE SALES! I had no idea how cool a garage sale was until I moved to Edmonton. My mind was blown!

I think that sustainability is a journey that starts from within our own homes and spreads to the community. As the saying goes, “droplets of water become an ocean.” Garage sales are a phenomenal sustainability practice. 

Let me get a bit technical here and take you through the manifestation of the three pillars of sustainability in a typical garage sale.

1.      Economical: Garage sales are one of the most economical ways of buying items you want!

2.      Environmental: You are literally diverting waste from landfills, so kudos!

3.      Social: One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, so both of you are happy! 

I know garage sales have been a part of the culture in this part of the world for quite some time. But as a newbie to Canada, I know that some people have genuine apprehensions about getting stuff from a garage sale. It might be that you don’t want to buy stuff from somebody else’s home. It might be that you don’t expect to find anything worthwhile and think that you might be wasting time. Or, it might be that you don’t know how awesome these sales actually are. 

Initially, I was not a fan of garage sales. But I am married to my polar opposite. He loves vintage collectibles and the like, so we went on a garage sale-hopping adventure this summer. I lost count after 10 sales. (I know, it’s crazy). What we purchased from these sales blew our minds.

All the precious wooden sculptures

Check out these  immaculately intricate wooden sculptures of people, animals and much more! To be frank, beyond the artistic appeal, what caught my attention was the story behind each collectible. For instance, I purchased a small storage box that the nice garage sale host had used when she was a little girl. She wanted me to take special care of it as it had a lot of childhood memories.

Ceramic dog figurines

Apart from all the economic gains, these garage sales are an opportunity to meet new people and hear their stories while living more sustainably. 

If you are looking for tips to land your own amazing finds, try checking out some of your local buy-and-sell forums and websites. Most of the sale notifications come with pictures of things for sale and approximate prices, so you can go prepared. Also, keep your eyes open while walking around your neighborhood as there are definitely sales around every nook and corner. Winter sales are mostly indoor, and notifications are normally through online platforms.


For those who missed out this year, please do try your luck during our next summer garage sale season, and keep an eye out for indoor winter sales too!

Submission by Roshni Mary Sebastian (Volunteer)