Garage Sale Trail

Do you love hunting for that little piece of treasure amongst a mass of trash? Or perhaps you’ve recently hopped on the bandwagon that is Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Either way, get excited about this year’s Garage Sale Trail.

Australians generate 43.8 million tonnes of waste per year – an estimated 30% of this could be reused or recycled, but is instead sent to landfill. Established in 2010, the Garage Sale Trail encourages giving inanimate objects a second lease on life while bringing local people together in a fun and social setting.  Fast forward to 2017 and the movement is supported by over 150 local councils.

For the first time, the Garage Sale Trail is taking place over an entire weekend, 21–22 October, and anyone can get involved. Whether you’re a single resident, school, charity or local business, you can do your bit as a seller to promote sustainability. Professional organiser Tanya Lewis is a Victorian ambassador for the event. She created Eco Organiser® after realising her passion was helping people organise their time and space in an environmentally responsible way. Speaking about Garage Sale Trail Tanya says, ‘It is the perfect, environmentally friendly solution to getting organised and clearing up your spaces. Getting organised with this community event can not only save our environment, but also your bank balance.’

Not looking to declutter? Treasure hunters, bargain seekers and vintage lovers can join the reuse movement and find that special something. Tammy Logan is the zero-waste hero behind Gippsland Unwrapped, a blog committed to the pursuit of waste-free living. She wants to inspire others to reduce their waste and prove that living sustainably results in a happier, healthier life. ‘I love garage sales because items are saved from landfill by finding them a new home or a new purpose. They’re about environmental responsibility, community, creativity, and the thrill of the hunt! What a fun way that we can all make a difference,’ she says.

Garage Sale Trail has had a positive impact on its participants and sustainability: 86% of participants said that they were now more conscious of the role they can play in decreasing waste. Their website is a plethora of information including seller tips, participating councils, how-to guides as well as seller dashboards where you can preview what’s up for grabs.

So do what you can and say YES to sustainability.

Garage Sale Trail  
Saturday, 21 and Sunday, 22 October 2017
garagesaletrail.com.au