Reduce, Reuse, Freecycle!!!

Today is recycling day, in every sense of the word! At some point, ideally on my way to somewhere else, I need to take all the cardboard and plastic bottles to the tip plus a couple of bits and bobs that I'd be embarrassed to pass on to anyone else. Also the ever increasing heap of "stuff" that has accumulated in the outhouse needs to be dealt with too.

Freecycle is fab! It really is. I joined it about two years ago and since then have got rid of some very unlikely stuff (can you imagine anyone wanting a near knackered tumble dryer with a door that half hangs off?) and received some amazing stuff too. Bicycles, garden toys, tools and a plant stand that didn't quite live up to expectations, but does the job well enough. The first really good clear out we had made us realise just how much one person's rubbish can be another's treasure. One Sunday morning I got up early and posted the whole lot and within an hour almost every single offer had been taken! By Sunday evening most of it had been collected too. Awesome!! Today I've posted 31 items - one of which is a complete bathroom set and another a blacklight lamp!!

It's an amazing system that relies on folks being honest about their wares, honest about collecting the items (and not reselling them on Ebay!!!) , prevents tons of unwanted stuff ending up in landfill and provides many folks with an opportunity to get something for nothing - other than a quick trip to collect the item. Brilliant!! In the Wasteage it's an ideal form of recycling.

There is still a lot of our stuff that needs to be sifted through, sold or Freecycled or just taken to the charity shop - Baranardo's is our preference - but it's a start and as it only took two hours to drag out, list, measure, photograph (some) and post the whole lot it won't seem such an arduous task in future. There may be one more rug to go, but I thought my eldest son, David, and his lady, Emma, might like it for their office so they've got first refusal.

My friend, Sally, has just been for a very nice cuppa and a chat and is incandescent with rage at the rubbish teaching she is having to put up with at a writing class she's just started which must cost an arm and a leg. I only remark on this because Lara has also got bad teaching issues with her sewing class. Does Ofsted not have to regulate crappy teaching at all levels? If they can dictate to mums about their children's care then they should have an equal role in sorting out adult education and evening classes too!! Or maybe they don't interfere so much if you're paying for it? Hmmmmmm...

I'm rambling again! Right ho!! Off to the tip and on the way home from taking Leo swimming I must remember to uproot a couple of onions. I'd planned to cook a yummy risotto for supper last night only to discover that I'd forgotten the onions and didn't have any risotto rice either!! We ordered pizza!