Swapdom!
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I came across what looks to be quite an eco-friendly and unique way of putting your unwanted used 'stuff' to good use and getting someone else's unwanted 'stuff' in exchange.
Swapdom was launched last October and looks to be gaining in popularity. This diagram explains how the system works.
The 'stuff' on the site currently is kids clothes / toys and women's clothing. Starting with kid's stuff was a good idea as kid's quickly outgrow their clothes and toys.
The developers are seeking suggestions as to what other groups of items should be covered. I imagine the idea / site will grow quickly and cover many categoriesi. Oh! they do have a charge, $2. This is the site link, http://www.swapdom.com/
Mike
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What a great concept mate!
There is SO MUCH stuff that people throw out when it can so often find a new home.
Here we have a garbage collection that happens once or twice a year - its to allow people to get rid of larger household items that are no longer of use. It's amazes me what some people put to the kerb.
Funny thing is that by pick up day most piles have reduce to less than half of what they started.
A mate of mine was moving into a flat after the break up of his relationship and left her with everything, luckily the week he moved out was this clean up week. Directly in front of his new apartment block was a fridge and big flat screen TV - Amazingly both were not at all old and both in perfect working order, such that you couldn't believe they were actually replaced. Some just have to have the newest and the best. Me, I'm one of those "don't replace it till it's broke broke broke"!
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Yep, Richard, I'm familiar with the 'leave it outside' for a 'pick up'. Its a great way to 'keep things green' also. There is a particular a huge second-hand shop in Brighton UK that I spend time in on each my regular visits there and always manage to pick up something interesting for next to nothing.
I wised up my daughter about Swapdom (great name btw) and she thinks its a great idea and will start using it instead of trying to sell her old stuff on eBay.
I'd bet that Swapdom will grow huge! Hope it does, a great idea
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If she is still in Sydney mate, gumtree is the go over ebay!
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Sure is Rich.
Tell her, "Gumtree all the way", Mike....
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Mike, Interesting - Don't know if you've heard of waste exchanges, where say, I have 300 tonnes of broken bricks, and you have a hole you need filling in, or you need broken brick for a special concrete etc. etc
e.g. http://www.nothrow.co.nz/Waste exchanges are basically the start of a spectrum that goes thru to a discipline called 'industrial ecology' e.g. http://www.is4ie.org/ which involves swapping tangible 'wastes' and less tangible 'items' such as waste heat, gas flows from processes, an industrial oven that needs to stay hot 24/7 but is only used 7 hours a day and so on.
Unfortunately the downturn led to a number of initiatives getting put on hold, so so far there's a lot of plans and words but few networked factories (crosses fingers for the upturn).
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Thanks Richard and Andrew for the tip on Gumtree. I will mention it to Shelly as it looks like she will be staying in Oz to the foreseeable future.
Nigel, those Waste Exchange links are very informative, what a great idea. Hope it catches on.
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There was a great story on our national TV broadcasted show "Landline" of a macadamia nut (indigenous nut to Aust) processor who found the nut shells that are so rich in oil (as is the gorgeous nut!! 70% fat) that the burning of the shell produced such energy that this waste could power the plant and the local regional town!
The beauty here also was that they then returned a larger part of this win in paying the grower a higher price for the delivered weight as being for both the nut and shell yield!
BTW - I'm not certain if you guys OS have had the opportunity to try these nuts, but trust if you like nuts I'd prioritise sourcing some! Yuuuuummmmyyyyy!
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