My maternal grandmother was an inspiring lady. She was born in post-World
War I Hungary, in the countryside, to a family of millers. Money was scarce, the going was tough, material things of any kind — clothes, household items,
furniture, etc… — had to be valued, maintained, and used and reused until they could be used no more.
She maintained this appreciation for material things for the rest of her life. As a young girl, I watched as she folded every plastic bag, stored every napkin,
collected every bottle cork with the thought to reuse it later.
My life has been so different to that of my grandmother’s, in so many ways. But her thoughtful lifestyle has stayed with me and continues to inspire me on a daily basis. I now have two little children of my own, and with the full support of my partner, we try to meet our needs, wherever possible, with second-hand goods.
Once you tap into the second-hand market — whether for furniture, appliances, clothes, toys, books or any other goods — it is hard to look back. Firstly, you realise just how much more economical it is to buy second-hand. Secondly, you realise just how much stuff — I mean tonnes and tonnes of good quality, valuable stuff — would end up in landfill if no one was willing to reuse it.
Most recent estimates show that each year 2,500 million tonnes of waste go to landfill, in the European Union alone. Another study reveals that in 2016, we’ve generated enough electronic waste to make 4500 Eiffel towers. Some 45 million tonnes globally to be exact. Every bit counts to reduce this unsustainable rate of waste generation.
Wherever I have lived so far — Australia, Hungary, Spain — similar initiatives have existed. It’s just a matter of looking for them online. There are also worldwide options such as Ebay and Amazon, though buying local is always better.
We live in Belgium and even just in this small country, there are so many options to find and purchase second-hand goods. To list a few, there is: Les Petits Riens and Troc, which have several shops dispersed throughout the major Belgian cities. There’s also 2iememain, which is an online platform for people to sell their own private, unwanted belongings.
Back in 2013 when we moved to Brussels, we furnished our entire apartment from scratch for less than €1,000 and five years later, everything from microwave to washing machine to couch is still going strong. My kids, who are now 3 and 1 years old, have barely worn a new outfit — almost everything has come from second-hand sources at an average cost of €1-€4 per clothing item, or even for free at times. We have saved thousands of euros, and we love the fact that we don’t have to be precious about our belongings, since they didn’t cost us a fortune.
Of course, buying second-hand is not always as easy and carefree as buying new. You do need to be slightly more careful to ensure what you’re buying is in good condition and reliable, and sometimes you need to do some extra research and searching. But my family and I are living proof that it is worth the minor extra hassle.
People do tend to have an aversion to second-hand goods, either because “they’ve already been worn or used by somebody else” or because there is not the same guarantee for quality as when you buy new. But with a slight change in mindset, and a little bit of extra effort, these things can be very easily overcome. Your bank account and the planet will thank you!
