Big City Small Footprints

So far I’ve managed to save a bunch of re-usable stuff from being sent to the tip, although we have also caved and allowed our builders to send 1 load off so they had space to work (more on that later).

So here’s what I’ve managed to pass on:

• hotpoint electric oven and gas hob
• hotpoint fridge
• 1 set of wood floors
• 3 mirrored sliding doors
• 1 wooden cabinets
• 8 old radiators
• 2 radiator covers

In case you’re wondering, most of those have gone by way of the wonderful Gumtree. OK, so for most people, it would probably not be worth the time and effort to post and get rid of all these things. In order to make sure they moved, I set the prices pretty low, so I don’t think the money has been worth it - but despite this, I’m really really pleased with finding new homes for all that stuff so far.

The main thing for me is that people are going to re-use the stuff. We often talk about recycling these days, but that’s not always the same as re-using. I’d rather have someone re-use the flooring that was in the flat, than send it to a wood chipper to be recycled - it’s pretty obviously a better option. It’s been great for the people buying the stuff (I hope) and it’s great for me, as it reduces stuff that gets taken away as waste.

Speaking of waste…Our builder had originally set the challenge of trying to do the whole flat without sending anything to the tip. Unfortunately, that hope went out the window pretty quickly as things weren’t selling quickly enough and the builders needed the space. So we did relent and send some waste off with a company called AnyJunk. Green Homes helped us find these guys - they recycle a bunch of what they pick up and are part of the London Community Recycling Network. They filled a truck (labour included) of our building waste for £280. So we didn’t quite get away with everything being re-used, but at least any of the waste that can be recycled is going to be.