7/22/20- I thought this would be an interesting blog to post because it shows how simple it is to help the environment. What I mean is buying second-hand items results in far less wastl. Let me give you an example: It takes an average of 1,800 gallons of water to make a pair of jeans (from virgin cotton), whereas it takes zero gallons of water to buy a pair of second-hand jeans. This scenario also prevents an item from going directly to a landfill. That being said, the list below shows the Top Ten second-hand items I own.
#1 My Guitar- I own two guitars and both are second-hand. I own a keyboard that we found on facebook marketplace meaning it was also pre-owned. Music is a passion of mine and the fact that I was able to get inexpensive, yet still high quality instruments, is incredible. My first guitar was from a neighbor. It had just been sitting around. Passing along that item to someone who will use it, rather than throwing it away, makes the resources used to make it unwasted.
#2 Electronics- I own multiple electronic devices that were bought refurbished including a phone and computer. I was also able to rent my school computer. This was very efficient as it was handed down from a student previously in the 8th grade, and will go to a new 8th grade student this fall (if we have school this fall!). This shows it is not necessary to own every product you need to use. I believe renting is the best decision when it comes to accessing something that you know will only be used temporarily and/or for a single purpose. I recently bought a computer second-hand online and it works just as well as any other computer I’ve used. It just shows you don’t have to buy everything new. Also, so many people upgrade their electronics regularly meaning you could buy a used device for less money and actually give the energy that went into making that product value.
#3 Cars- My family owns two cars, both of which were bought second-hand. One of these cars is a hybrid and I just would like to take this moment to share that you can literally buy any car you woud like second-hand. Cars are built to last a long time. Brand new cars are typically over priced and doing so creates more waste. By choosing a previously owned vehicle (that still has some life in it), you prevent older cars from going straight to landfills. Yet again, the result is that you save a lot of resources. (I am not promoting the idea of owning a car if you live in a community with easy public transportation or do not need one. However, if you want a car, buy it second-hand,)
#4 Lots of clothing- I generally do not own a ton of clothing, however the majority of what I do own is second-hand. I have an older brother who gives me lots of clothing and I willingly wear it. I give clothing a second use and since I treat it well, it can be handed down to someone else smaller than me. One example is a sweatshirt that was handed down to my brother from one of his friends and once he grew out of it, I got it. That gave the sweatshirt three lives instead of one. It is also high quality and something that will last-- I still own it after even more than a year!
#5 Furniture- There is plenty of handed down furniture in my house from generations. These are pieces that my great grandparents used to own. Furniture is another item that can last a very long time and will take a very long time to break down in a landfill. It is not necessary to own a ton of new furniture. On my YouTube channel, I took a room tour with my brother and his room is just one example in my house of second-hand furniture. Watch that here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPGebwnvdWE&t=15s
#6 Speaker- This is a very basic one. I wanted a speaker to listen to music. My dad had one that was not being used so he gave it to me. This was a much better option than buying a new one mostly because the quality of it is still good, I got it for free, and it isn’t an everyday item. What I mean by this is that since it isn’t an item that is used regularly, it is not essential and something worth buying. I do not typically buy items unless I am going to use it daily or at least very regularly.
#7 Cups, plates- This is a general one but something I strongly recommend. If you need any dishes, it would be awesome to buy them second-hand as many thrift stores tend to carry them. We have dishes and cups that have also been passed down many generations. I would also just like to note that we have some chipped plates and bowls, but that does not mean we have to go buy new ones. They still work perfectly fine. Tupperware is another one of those things that can be passed down too. Just because it’s plastic, doesn’t mean you can’t own it. It’s better to reuse what you already have versus buying a bunch of new stuff or throwing away usable stuff.
#8 Books- I’m not sure if you could call this second-hand, however I do not own very many books. Instead, I hsve a library card. I always thought the idea of a library was genius because it allows people to get a book for free, read it, and then return it so it can be used by someone else. I have always dreamed of a puzzle library because it is the same concept (you do a puzzle once and typically don’t care to do it again). Back to the books. Paper takes a lot of resources to produce. It uses not only trees (our main source of our most valuable resource, air), but also tons and tons of water. Please, unless a book is absolutely necessary to own, or cannot be found at a library or as an audible, do not buy it. So many people own hundreds of books that just sit there. I know I used to. But now, you can get almost any book in a digital format. Choose to read and intentionally choose an earth-friendly format.
#9 My Bike- This one is definitely one of my favorite items on this list. Last summer I needed a new bike as I had grown out of my old one. We were able to sell the old one as second. (Bonus!) I found a second-hand bike; It ended up fitting my brother better so he got that one and I got his old bike. His bike is now many years old and I probably won’t grow out of it. I don’t think I have owned a first-hand bike since I was a toddler if ever. Bikes are available online everywhere and just take a bit of searching to find a nice one.
#10 My Cat- This one is a half joke but I needed a number 10, so.. (shout out to Zelda!) We got my cat (and her sister) around five years ago. This one I love because I rescued my cat after she had already been owned but then ended back in a shelter. This example makes it clear that you can love something even if it is second-hand. I love my cat just as much as any new born, first hand kitten, if not more.
I hope this blog was interesting to read and inspired you to buy something second-hand rather than brand new the next time you are in need of something. It is not very difficult to find things in second-hand stores or online. Or just ask someone you know. Peace.
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