Neighbours moving = Waste

[Comar]

My nextdoor neighbours are moving away. They have been renting a house for a year and a half. When they had just moved in I had a few brief conversations with the father of this family of 5 people. He told me he hoped he might one day be able to buy the house when the time was right. He also told me he had a very expensive motorsport hobby he was trying to get back into but was uable to do so at the time because of the expenses.

Just about a week ago from today they have been like a hurricane. They are moving away, I don't know why or where they are going. Don't really care much. But oh my god THE WASTE.

All the waste. Of everyone's time, effort and money. If this planet only had people like this we would be living in the barren wastelands of Mad Max by now. Some 3 or 4 days ago someone brought them a gigantic dumbster. Since then they have been mercilessly throwing away perfectly good stuff. Furniture, like whole cabinets, mirrors, chairs. Electronics. Books. Clothes. A huge ass sun umbrella they bought this summer. Everything in near perfect condition just tossed away and crushed in this colossal dumbster. I felt physically ill when I saw the father and his friend jumping on top of the pile of stuff, crushing it under their weight to create more room for perfectly fine stuff to be ruined.

We have a thrift shop very close by. We also have a local facebook page where people give away stuff or sell it for a small amount. Why not use this and save yourself renting a dumbster? Perfectly fine stuff that still has use just crushed. Not even organized for recycling. Just this big pile of chaotic trash.

How will this planet survive?

[scottish]

Marie Kondo run wild?

[MgoSam]

If they are tossing it, it might be a good opportunity to either take anything that you can use or that you know has a re-sale value. No need to tell your neighbor, in my experience if you do so then they will come to you after you sell it, expecting a cut of the proceeds.

[Syonyk]

How will this planet survive?

It won't.  But that's not a conversion anyone really likes to have.  So we ignore it.

[justajane]

I had a roommate do this once. She was moving abroad to (get this) an impoverished part of Africa, yet she was throwing away perfectly good stuff during the move. I just hauled all of it out of the trash and took it to Goodwill myself. She threw away clothes with tags still on them! I lost a lot of respect for her after that, but I never confronted her. I just did it surreptitiously. 

[HairyUpperLip]

That sucks man.

I get mad at my wife for throwing a recyclable item in the trash instead of recycling bin.

[clarkfan1979]

I wish taking stuff to the goodwill was more normal. It helps people out and it's a nice tax write-off. I think it's weird that others think it's weird.

[I'm a red panda]

That's really sad. Especially because a lot of non-profits will even come pick up when you do something big like this.

[MgoSam]

How will this planet survive?

It won't.  But that's not a conversion anyone really likes to have.  So we ignore it.

The planet will be fine. We will not be. Let uncle Carlin explain it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W33HRc1A6c

[2ndTimer]

I am working at training all my neighbors to let me go through their stuff before they throw it away.  I realize it is too late for these folks but something to keep in mind for the future.  A good way to start is with books.  For some reason it is more socially acceptable to invite people to go through your books before you donate them than it is to invite them to go through your old clothes.  While they are going through the books, I casually remark how delighted I was when another neighbor gave me her  old coffee maker or whatever the most recent thing was.  It seems to break the ice nicely.

[justajane]

Another thing to get people used to is giving food away. We have become the neighborhood garbage disposal, so to speak. Bought too many apples last week? Offer them to justajane! She'll take them. Going out of town tomorrow? Send your perishables over to justajane's!

Maybe it's because we have three growing boys. I'm not sure how we became the people others give food to, but I'm not going to turn it down. I don't ask for it. It just comes to our house. It doesn't make me feel uncomfortable. I always say thank you. And these are people I am pretty close to who eat at our house pretty regularly, so I'm not grossed out by it. And I spread the love too when I can - say, if I make some cookies or muffins or whatever.

[Syonyk]

And everyone who helps you gets to tell their friends about how they help the local poor family who can only live there because of assistance!  Win/win!

Since, clearly, you're only asking for the stuff because you can't otherwise afford it.  Yup!

*sigh*

We've gotten rid of a lot of books at our local "little free library" - which is a nice thing.  I... mostly read ebooks anymore.  Yes, I like paper, but man, I hate moving them.

[Money Mouse]

good grief! around here you don't even need to bother with goodwill or freecycle, just set something out on the curb the night before trash pickup and it will be gone within the hour. "Trash pickers" drive around in their run-down-beat-up pickups and stuff their beds full of items people don't need anymore. I think they either recycle it (appliances and such, anything with metal) or sell it (after fixing it/cleaning it up first if needed). I got rid of an old pre-light Christmas tree, a book case, an old entertainment center, a couch (or two?), an old gas stove, a broken water heater, and a few other odds and ends over the years this way. Most of the things we set out have no value or so little it's not worth our time to try and sell it, and we don't always have the time/energy to haul big items off to goodwill. This saves us the cost of the trash sticker for oversized items too.

Clothing and small items I'll take over to Goodwill, but the big stuff we leave to the trash pickers.

[tooqk4u22]

Unfortunately its probably not uncommon......They must be some of the most intelligent and best educated in the country.....

http://www.westphillylocal.com/2012/05/29/penn-christmas-hits-the-streets-pennmoves-sale-june-2/

[Dollar Slice]

I have to admit it was a real chore donating my belongings when I moved to a much smaller apartment last year. I don't have a car so I could only use charities that would pick up from my home; and then a lot of them had limits on what they would take. I ended up using three or four different places to get rid of stuff (meaning I had to make and be at home for multiple appointments), and they made me submit photographs of most items before they would agree to come pick it up, which made the appointment-making process a multiple-day affair each time because there had to be an e-mail exchange first. It ended up being a lot of extra work when I was already dealing with a ton of other stuff. I'm glad I did it, but you would think it would be easier to give away nice, usable things in good condition.

[paddedhat]

On occasion I have dealings with small contractors who subcontract work from banks, doing clean-outs and repairs of foreclosed homes, which seem to be in endless supply here.  I have repeatedly heard reports that, given a steady stream of homes to empty out, you could live indefinitely on the contents the bank PAYS you to toss in the dumpster. With the exception of food, just about everything you need to be comfortable can be found in the trail of debris that evicted homeowners leave behind. Furniture, clothes, electronics, tools, sports equipment, yard equipment and yes, even vehicles.

Another thing I found interesting was living next door to a very expensive religious based summer camp. At the end of the season, the place would be awash with high end toys and clothing left behind by spoiled rich brats. Electronic toys, expensive shoes, tablets, clothes. I don't know if the mentality was that the little royalty had such a case of affluenza that they didn't really care, or if leave it behind as a convenient way to assure that mom and dad replaced it with the latest and greatest, but it sure was sickening.

[I'm a red panda]

but the big stuff we leave to the trash pickers.

Sadly that doesn't work around here. The city doesn't pick up large items for the trash, and you can get fined for putting them out and leaving them.  So if someone doesn't pick it up quickly, it is more likely the officer on his nightly rounds sees it and you get a ticket.

[Papa Mustache]

Went to the dump over the weekend and watched someone toss a working boombox in good knack, two critter carriers, and all sorts of smaller things. We rescued the smaller critter carrier for our cat vet visits. Damage free and didn't even smell. Will wash it before we use it. Out to the shed it went. The boombox I left but I think the next guy in line took it. Perfect for a garage radio. A few months ago I rescued a working concrete mixer (Harbor Freight) and gave it away to a friend doing renovations and rental properties.

When I took a load of cranky yard equipment (all needing TLC - I got my few years out of them) three old men were helping me unload my trailer. The mowers and trimmers didn't even touch the ground before they were whisked away. Good luck to them. ;)

I don't get not giving things away that still have life in them. We give everything to Goodwill. Don't have time for garage sales and don't want to showcase my tools with a garage sale. "Hmmm, are the tools for sale?" Might come home to an empty garage if I did. A garage sale is a bigger risk to me than the profit I might gain.

[paddedhat]

good grief! around here you don't even need to bother with goodwill or freecycle, just set something out on the curb the night before trash pickup and it will be gone within the hour. "Trash pickers" drive around in their run-down-beat-up pickups and stuff their beds full of items people don't need anymore.
Clothing and small items I'll take over to Goodwill, but the big stuff we leave to the trash pickers.

We have a nearby small city that was famous for it's twice a year collection of large items, and the "trash pickers" you describe were legend. My DW's co-worker was an older gentleman, and not in the best of health. He was removing a recliner, and decided to plop it on top of his brand new wheelbarrow to wheel it to the curb. When he got to the curb, his wife called him to come inside for a moment. By the time he got back, a few minutes later, his recliner and new wheelbarrow were "repurposed".  This was among many incidents that lead to the town banning drive by picking. Now the pickers get a free permit, and the town sets all the big garbage out on the parking lot of the transfer station, as they haul it in. The pickers swarm the good stuff like vultures on a roadkill. This in an effort to end trash related fist fights and traffic accidents.

Hey, they don't call this area "Pennsyltucky" fur nuthin'  LOL

[lemonlime]

I lived in Astoria, Queens (near Steinway St. for any familiar with the area) for a bit. When I moved out (to go to California) there were some things I couldn't take with me. An elderly neighbor said, "Don't throw those things away, just leave them on the sidewalk! People will take them!" He himself took a vacuum cleaner (that I inherited from a former roommate) and some pillows. I left a few things including an armchair, an air conditioner, a small boombox/cd player, an air conditioner. All were gone within hours. A woman with a cute little boy about 9 took the AC and the boombox and I happened to be on the street when they were looking at the stuff. I explained to her how the AC worked, and explained to the little boy how the boombox worked. They were thrilled, it felt really good.

[zephyr911]

How will this planet survive?

It won't.  But that's not a conversion anyone really likes to have.  So we ignore it.

The planet will be fine. At this rate, humanity won't.

[Gone Fishing]

No shame here.  I will walk up and ask if I can have anything I deem useful that looks like it is on the way to the dump.

[AZDude]

So much extra work to get the dumpster. If I want to get rid of something like furniture, I just put it outside the front door and list on craigslist for free. Shit disappears within an hour. Old aquarium, old coffee table, bag of underwear that did not fit... doesn't matter. If it is free, people will come get it.

[zephyr911]

I pick up shit all the time for myself, for friends, or for resale. I fixed and sold an acoustic guitar that just needed a nut and strings. This week I snagged a pre-stretched canvas for an artist friend - just needs some plaster scraped off and new primer applied. I've never been able to tolerate useful things being broken or wasted. I watch the piles my neighbors put out just to see what gets picked... if I think it's gonna get trashed, I'm more likely to do something myself.