One man's trash

Though I have often expressed cynicism (though perhaps not on this blog) about so-called sustainable products, especially ones I see featured in commercials for superstores like Wal-Mart, I realized one of our summer staples is the ultimate in sustainable shopping. Every weekend, some neighbor is bound to sift through their belongings and stuff their garage full of objects they no longer value but they figure other people could. I used to work at the Goodwill Store and will say that though the intentions of that store are good, most people who shop there buy the majority of their clothing in fine department stores, stopping by to add some punch to their hipster attire or give their apartment some character. Garage sales though, they're perfect. They negate that corporate middleman (because even Goodwill is an international entity). The seller gets to de-clutter his/her life and make a profit. Other people pick up cheap items that (hopefully) they can use. So they do not have to go to the store for those items. The best part? There's usually zero packaging. Maybe a plastic bag here or there, but those can be reused.