Buy Second-Hand Goods
By purchasing second-hand goods from an opportunity shop, you are supporting a charity, getting a bargain, and reducing the resources required to satisfy your consumption needs.
From Ebay to the trading post, garage sales to the local op shop, there are a host of ways to grab a second-hand bargain. The common adage that a new car loses 20 per cent of its value when you drive it off the lot applies even more so to most other goods. By getting into second-hand gear you'll save thousands of dollars every year; discounts on second-hand items would put the most sales to shame.
Need a T-shirt? You can spend up to $100 on a new one or browse your local op shop and pick one up for $2, with the proceeds going to charity.
From an environmental perspective, purchasing second-hand goods extends the life of the thing you are buying and defers the need for more resources to be used in making a new product.
Do it now!
Visit your local op shop - Op shops exist to provide cheap goods and support charities focused at helping the poor and ailing members of our community. They are generally staffed by volunteers and always have a bargain or two - or three...
- St Vincent de Paul Society
- The Salvation Army
- Baptist Bargain Centre
- Brotherhood of St Laurence
- Lifeline
- Save the Children Australia (SA)
- Doncare (Vic)
- Australian Animal Protection Society (Vic)
- Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria
Check out the local street markets and garage sales - These are another source of great deals, and can also be an opportunity to meet you neighbours. Look for signs on a light pole, in the community paper or on café notice boards to find out where and when.
Buy second hand goods online - Try reading The Choice Buying Guide: Second-Hand Goods', which describes the rights and responsibilities of buyers and sellers of second-hand gear.
Some online sites from which to buy (and sell) second-hand goods:
Why this action is important
Reusing existing products has a twofold effect on the environment. It reduces the need to extract more materials from nature and it circumvents large amount of concentrated (and often toxic) man-made materials entering the environment and having to be processed by nature.