Eco Consumers

We’re all consumers, whether we like it or not. Rather than avoiding that fact, here are some ways to recycle and save money while on a shopping spree, as well as earning money from past purchases. While the ideas are simple and, in some cases, obvious, put them all together and you could make a difference to your expenditure and the amount of raw materials being used to support your spending habit!

Never a borrower nor a lender be? I think not!
· How often do you buy something that you only use once, when you could have borrowed it instead? I know I’ve fallen foul of this mistake. So, a very simple tip here for books, CDs, DVDs and computer games: unless you know you will use, re-use and use it again, borrow from the library! We all know libraries are there for us but the lure of a purchase can take over at times. It’s amazing how addictive shopping can be. There we are perusing a website or shop shelf, when before we quite know what happened to us we are the proud (or slightly guilty) owner of something we fancied but weren’t quite sure we needed. To avoid this addiction, before you get to the check out, stop, write down the title of whatever tempted you, go away and think about it. If possible, borrow it from your local library and if it’s as good as you were led to believe then buy a copy. But only if you’ll really use it again.
· Toy libraries are a great idea. Toys seem such fun when they’re new, then the novelty wears off and the lump of boring plastic sits in the corner of the room. If there is a toy library near you, make use of it! Each toy will feel new to your child and can be returned for someone else to enjoy it next week. If you don’t know of any toy libraries in your area, you could consider starting one up.
· If you need to buy big appliances or tools that won’t be in frequent use, how about buying it with a friend or neighbour who also needs one? Spread the cost, share the usage, and reduce the amount of new products being made.

Second Time Lucky
· When it comes to books, I personally love knowing that the pages I’m turning have been thumbed by someone else, especially if the book has an inscription to get me guessing about its previous owner. Amazon.co.uk is a brilliant starting point – their marketplace has thousands of second hand products. Green Metropolis (greenmetropolis.co.uk) is another great website where second hand books are circulated cheaply.
· Charity shops can be a real treasure hunt and the feeling of satisfaction when you find a recycled version of what you’ve been looking for at a fraction of the price is just great!
· Websites like gumtree (gumtree.com) and ad trader (adtrader.co.uk) are useful sites where you may find what you need at a cheap second hand price.

Sell, sell, sell!
· Clear out those past purchases that are clogging up your home and let someone else enjoy them. Ebay and car boot sales are so obvious that I won’t even mention them. Well, not again anyway.
· Amazon is a very easy outlet for selling your own books, music, DVDs, and computer games. Help someone else avoid the trap of buying-brand-new, clear your clutter and earn money simultaneously. What a feeling! I’ve earnt a decent amount of pocket money by trawling my creaking shelves for books and CDs that I no longer use but are wanted by others out there.
· Green Metropolis also encourages you to sell your own books on their site as well as buying others.
· As for selling your unwanted CDs, Music Magpie (musicmagpie.co.uk) has an easy to navigate site that buys your old CDs, DVDs and computer games from you and supplies you with postage free envelopes for sending them off.
· It seems that these days mobile phones become outdated almost before they’ve had their first full battery charge. There are a number of sites offering to pay for the privilege of recycling your old phone. Here are a few of them: mazumamobile.com, envirophone.com, fonebank.com, money4urmobile.com, love2recycle.com, greentec.org.uk, mobilecashmonster.com, tradeinmymobile.co.uk, . Do a bit of research and make sure you get the most you can for your old phone.

Pass it on…
· Read it, swap it! Readitswapit.co.uk is an award winning website that enables you pass on old books and get yourself some more reading matter while you’re at it. Just post books on there or look for books you’d like to read and swap with another member. Joining and swapping is free.
· Book crossing is another way of circulating used books. Upload the details of your book, along with the place you plan to leave it, put a note inside the book saying that you are releasing it into the wild to be enjoyed by whoever wants it and then let someone else find it! You’ll also find listings on the site of other books released into the wild, for you to find.
· The following websites recycle your old mobile phones and printer cartridges. They won’t pay you money but they will help raise money for charity, your school or to help buy sports equipment. Recyclingappeal.com, recycool.org, recycle 4 kit.
· The freecycle network (freecycle.org) helps you to pass on all those bits and bobs you no longer use. Membership is free. You can’t charge for your goods but hopefully they’ll find a new and productive home.
· Swapping parties are fab fun. Gather your friends together, with the instruction that they all bring some clothes they no longer wear (or books they no longer read, music they’ve heard to death, cuttings they’ve grown from their plants, toys their kids have outgrown — whatever you’d like the theme of your party to be) and swap to your hearts content!
· Make use of ooffoo’s online community! You may be able to pass on or swap something with a very grateful recipient.
· If you can’t find a market online for your unwanted goods, then take them to the local charity shop so others can hunt for their own bargains.