Monday, November 16, 2009

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
...OR JUST TOSS IT OUT






On Saturday I made the annual trek to Wicker Park to sell my old books at Myopic ($65) and old clothes at the resale shops ($6). The clothes places are super-picky this year - either that or my second wave of castoff clothes is not as good as the first. Nonetheless it was still energizing to get money for my old things. I can use it to buy boxes for the move.

I took the leftovers to the Salvation Army dropoff center on Clybourn. The parking lot was PACKED, with people both dropping off and buying things at the store. Interesting economic times, these.

On Sunday I went through the closets, and filled two gigantic contractor bags with castoffs. (I had 92 boxes of stuff on my last move; my goal for this one is 70. Also the new apartment has only two closets, while the current place boasts four).

Today I called The Ark thrift store on Lincoln Avenue, to find out if they are still accepting donations. Last week I noticed several large "Liquidation" signs in the window.

My hunch was correct; they've closed the Lincoln Avenue location but are still taking items at 1302 N. Milwaukee.

Not exactly convenient.

But at least The Ark doesn't chase you down the street, forcing you to take back your stuff like these guys once did.

I also called the city's computer and hazardous waste recycling center to find out if they take old cassette tapes.

They do not, and recommended throwing them out.

Twenty years of mix tapes will wind up in a landfill, ouch.




To read my article on getting rid of stuff and how it fits into the yoga system, click here.

6 comments:

  1. could you take out the tape and recycle the plastic from the cassettes?

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  2. Hi, I have your blog on my news feed because it's interesting, but... throw away mix tapes?! That's so sad! If you're interested in sending me a couple of them I'd pay you for postage- I still love mix tapes :)

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  3. Anonymous9:23 PM

    The idea of purging sounds both incredibly liberating and incredibly terrifying - in equal parts. I guess it's something you have to work up to. My brother (who you know) could move in about 20 minutes. Seriously. He lives lean and holds on to nothing. I, on the other hand, have entirely too many clothes and shoes...but in my defense, I love them all and actually wear them all. I don't own a television,a computer or much furniture though. I'm even borrowing the bed I currently sleep in from my roommate!

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  4. What seems to work best in relationships is a the purger-collector couple.... unless of course the purger purges too wantonly.

    I'm curious to know whom yr brother is....
    as well as you.

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  5. Emily,

    Send me your address and I'll try to send you some tapes.

    CK

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  6. it's me! i was your anonymous poster from a couple days ago. i got a blogger account (though i have no intention of blogging) and came out of lurkdom just for you
    :-)

    the purger-collector couple thing sound fabulous. now if only i could get a date :-/

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