By David Eastman
 Have you ever purchased a used book, held a yard sale or bought a used car? Have you ever gone to a thrift store, antique store or church rummage sale? Do you own at least one item that was not new at the time you acquired it? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, congratulations — you are a charter member of the Green Reconomy!
The Reconomy is that secondary, grassroots, environmentally friendly economy that most economists totally ignore. It is people buying, selling, donating and sharing “gently used” items rather than always going after the shiny, flashy, over-priced, new ones.
What’s this got to do with a Green Living Guide? The Reconomy is green in a whole variety of important ways:
 1. Each item that is reused, recycled or rehabbed through the Reconomy is one less new item that needs energy to be produced. We use far fewer resources when we make the “reconomic” choice.
2. The Reconomy promotes simplicity. By getting rid of stuff you don’t need through selling, trading or donating, you simplify your life and, in so doing, free up resources for others while reducing the size of your personal environmental footprint.
3. The Reconomy is green-buying at its finest and everybody benefits: sellers make money on things they no longer need, and buyers get what they need at a greatly reduced cost.
4. Finally, every item that is recycled through the Reconomy is one less item that ends up in a landfill. And the added beauty is that each item can pass through the Reconomy time after time, gracefully moving from one grateful owner to the next.
There are three easy gateways into the Reconomy — as a buyer, a seller or a patron. Let’s briefly look at each in turn to see what reconomic role(s) you want to play.
Buying in the Reconomy is simple and fun. You decide that you need a “new” winter coat, a great CD by your favorite artist, a larger dining room table or a best-selling book. Instead of traipsing off on a search with a pile of money, you visit a consignment boutique, used CD store, antique store or used bookstore. You find what you need, knowing that at least one other person liked the item enough to buy it once before. Plus you get it at such tremendous savings that you even have money left over.
Many of the same stores that sell you used goods are also willing to buy items that you no longer want. Or you can list the items for sale yourself on the Internet, through sites such as Amazon, Craigslist and eBay. There are, in fact, hundreds of thousands of people throughout the country who make all, or a large part, of their income by selling used goods online. Other ways to sell unwanted items include yard sales, flea markets and newspaper classified ads.
 As a patron of the Reconomy, you donate what you don’t want to organizations that will get it to people who want it or need it. Freecycle is such a service now available in the Fort Wayne area. It lets you get rid of stuff you don’t want to hassle with selling but don’t want to end up in a landfill. By giving items to Goodwill, the Salvation Army, St. Vincent DePaul or some other charity, you keep items in the reconomic flow, help both the charity and end-user, de-clutter your own life and get a tax deduction to boot! The Reconomy is environmentally friendly, economically frugal and downright fun!
Oh, and by the way, does anyone have a used Kelty backpack with a frame for sale?
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 12 March 2008 07:51 )
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