Recycling on the sidewalk

robot dnr comic

I believe in recycling. Often I do it on the sidewalk.

Yesterday I was tired of two old lamps that were abandoned in the apartment when I moved in. I never really used them since they looked cheap and ugly. They just sat in an unused bedroom taking up space. I got tired of looking at them so I took them outside with a sticker that said “Free-works”. I also had a laptop from 1995 with Windows 95 on it and put that on the sidewalk wall as well. In less than an hour everything was gone.

This isn’t the first time I have done this. In almost every community I have lived in, when I have put things outside they have been taken. It is remarkable. It doesn’t matter what it is, or what I think is junk, people still want it. I have even brought things home from work, thinking I might use them and then change my mind. Then I put it out and someone takes the free gift.

robot dnr comic
robot dnr comic

When I move I deal with my old goodwill furniture like this. I put it outside with a sign saying “Take me” and it disappears. I have never really had to worry about giving things to friends since I like to try new furniture and when it is just a few bucks you don’t feel any pain in losing it.

It is a fun experience to see the things you have recycled. I have written in the past that I have benefited from things that people have thrown out. The last thing that I got was a London Fog bag that was clean and in excellent shape. It was about $100 retail I looked up, and I use it as my storage for my paints and equipment. It looks like it was new in a store. To me, this is being a responsible adult. You try to reduce waste and promote recycling when it makes sense.

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That is why I support companies that recycle, upcycle, and reduce waste. I love going to Goodwill and sort of discovering things. My favorite was one in a very rich neighborhood and it was amazing the things they had. I would gladly take any rich person’s junk.

It makes you feel rich when the things you think are junk are valued by other people. This is not to brag since I didn’t buy those things but rather to say it is another reason to feel grateful for what we have.

You don’t need to go to a thrift store to recycle. Just put it on the sidewalk with a note.