Parenta Magazine March 2020

National Old Stuff Day
National Old
Stuff Day
Have you ever heard the expression: “Out with the old
and in with the new? Or how about; “Old ways won’t open
new doors”? If you have, and appreciate their aims, then
National Old Stuff Day on March 2nd will be right up
your street!
Contrary to how it may sound, National Old Stuff Day isn’t actually about celebrating
‘old stuff’, but rather a day when you get rid of the old stuff and start something
new. However, in today’s society, we now have to ask ourselves whether that is a
sustainable and responsible attitude to have, or whether there is a better way of
doing things?
Sure, no one wants to end up with a house or work place that looks like it should be
the subject of a TV hoarder exposé, and we all like it when we acquire bright and
shiny new things, so how can we make Old Stuff Day a fun and relevant part of our
annual spring clean?
We think that it would be great to tackle this from 2 standpoints: one from the ‘get
rid of the old stuff in the most ecological way possible’ standpoint; and one from the
‘let’s start something brand new” viewpoint. So here goes!
PART ONE: Getting rid of old
stuff in an ecological way
We are probably all guilty of hanging
on to too much stuff; that broken coat
hanger we’ve kept just in case we
find the missing roll of fabric tape we
intend to fix it with; the dilapidated
handbag we had when we were a
teen; and all the clothes that we’ve
grown out of, but are keeping because
we know the time will come when we
can fit back into them!!! The time has
come to get real and follow some rules
to help you declutter.
Take action!
1. Go through your house, your
setting and your life, and work out
what you no longer use, love or
have space for.
2. Once you have a pile of things
you need to get rid of, decide
how you are going to get rid of
them. In the UK, we currently
recycle approximately 45% of our
waste, but other countries such
as Germany and South Korea
recycle between 60% and 70%. To
be more ecological with old stuff,
there are several options:
• Donate it to charity – many
charities like clean cloths, brica-brac,
home furnishings and
even furniture
• Sell it at a car boot sale – this
takes a bit of effort but they’re
usually great fun and you can
make some money as well
• Sell things online – sites
such as wish, eBay, Etsy and
many others are useful for
selling things that are still
useable but which you no
longer need, like high-chairs or
buggies for instance
• Upcycle – this is a great
way to turn something old
into something fun and new.
You can paint old furniture,
repurpose everyday items,
or make new tops from old
dresses. You are really only
limited by your imagination but
if you need some inspiration,
see the websites listed at the
end of this article
• Make something new – have
a go at making a patchwork
quilt with some old clothes;
or an apron, some napkins,
cushion covers or cleaning
10 March 2020 | parenta.com