Waste Reduction News

Thrift Shopping 101

While in high school it was very trendy to find vintage clothes at second hand stores. My wardrobe was complete with a pair of shoes from the sixties, a few scarves from the fifties and jeans from the seventies.

When I entered college, buying from thrift stores had become habit. The Goodwill and Salvation Army were the first places I thought of when my dorm room needed a lamp, a new apartment could use a rug, or my wardrobe could use an injection of style.

Now, as a wife and mother I use second hand stores more than ever. My son’s nursery was completely furnished with second-hand furniture, toys and decorations. Not only am I saving my family money, I am recycling in a unique way. Luckily, it is trendier than ever to shop second hand. Here are some tips on how to shop at thrift stores from a veteran
second hand shopper.

1) Go Shopping with a Mission.
It is much safer if you know what you are looking for before you step foot in the door. The bargains found in a thrift store can sway even the thriftiest shopper into buying impulsively. (A table for $15? A baby blue glitter and velore top for $2! All right, a quirky handmade bowl, or is it an ashtray?) You can wind up with a pile of junk that you will never use if you get carried away.

2) Think Thrift First.
When my husband and I decided to turn the eat-in part of our kitchen into a sitting area my husband was skeptical we could furnish our new space by buying at thrift stores. We found a 60s era couch in mint condition from Salvation Army and an oak coffee table, end table, two chairs and artwork from Goodwill. The cost to furnish our sitting room (our favorite room in the house) was about $200.

3) Exhibit Your Creativity.
Luckily most things you find at the thrift store are already in great condition. But you may feel that some items require minor repairs, painting or sprucing up. This has never bothered me, however, because I view these minor repairs as an opportunity to get a little creative and add my personal style, taste and personality to our home furnishings.

4) Be flexible.
If you are looking for a piece of furniture or a piece of clothing it is better not to be too specific in what you are looking for. For instance, when we were looking for night stands for our bedroom, we decided early on that in order to buy second hand, we were only looking for two tables of matching color, they did not have to be a matching set. We were pleasantly surprised when what we ended up with were identical nightstands.

5) The Zen of Thrifting.
It may require more time to find what you are looking for because sometimes you have to frequent the stores until you find what you need. Those bedside tables I mentioned earlier, took us a few weeks to find. Whenever we passed the Goodwill and had a few extra minutes, we would stop in to see if they had new merchandise set out. Finally, we found identical off-white tables, each with a drawer and a shelf. They were the perfect style, in perfect condition.

6) Make It An Event.
Thrifting with friends is a fun Saturday activity. You don’t have to invest much money, and even though there are lots of treasures out there, there will also surely be the heinously ugly piece of clothing or furniture that you can laugh at hysterically.

Erica Trout, a Public Information Assistant for CVWMA, writes about recycling and conservation for Waste Reduction News and other publications produced by the Authority.

Going “The Extra Mile” on America Recycles Day

In honor of America Recycles Day, CVWMA sponsored a second-annual recycling festival in partnership with the Science Museum of Virginia and held tours of a Chester recycling facility operated by Tidewater Fibre Corporation. The agency also awarded prizes made of recycled materials to local residents who made a pledge to reduce, reuse and recycle. For these efforts, CVWMA will receive an award of $2,500 to use toward future America Recycles Day outreach programs.

Richard Abramowitz, America Recycles Day board member and regional manager for the Recycle America Alliance, Inc., said, "We've noticed a significant increase in recycling events this year and are proud to be a sponsor of America Recycles Day and this award contest. We're pleased to be able to recognize organizations that went the extra mile for recycling and America Recycles Day."

Seven organizations were recognized through the second national America Recycles Day award contest. Other winners include: Fairfax County, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Topeka/Shawnee County, Kansas; Albany, Georgia; and Motive Enterprises in Covent, Louisiana.

Over 850 events were held throughout the nation in celebration of America Recycles Day, November 15th. Twenty-eight organizations entered the America Recycles Day, Inc. contest sponsored by the Recycle America Alliance. Entries were judged on the event's originality and creativity; amount of local participation, recognition and success created, and the ability of the event to be replicated.

America Recycles Day (ARD) is a national all-volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, which sponsors an annual event with the goal of educating, and encouraging Americans to recycle and buy recycled products. Since its inception in 1997, the ARD campaign has grown substantially in participation and now encourages recycling activities throughout the United States and several territories.

How To Find A Good Thrift Store

Thrifting has so much to do with personal taste so my advice is to just start visiting stores you’ve noticed but haven’t shopped in yet. You may find that you love a store at first but don’t always find what you are looking for. Perhaps another “junkier” store with less expensive items turns out to be where you find your treasures most often. In the phone book under “Thrift” over 30 stores were listed in the Richmond area and more are listed under “Consignment”. When thrifting becomes second nature to you—feel good that you are saving money—but don’t forget that you are also helping the environment by recycling in a unique way.