Someone else’s problem

As I write this, the hard rubbish from our apartment complex is lined up on our kerbside.

It’s a roughly 6-month reminder of just how disposable things have become… or more accurately, how quick we are to discard something when it’s in our way.

Buying new things for your home and rebranding your organisation have similarities – often you’re replacing something you already had that is no longer fit for purpose. A new couch at home, or a new sign for the foyer.

When you buy something new, do you ever think about what will happen to it when you no longer need it? It might seem a strange thing to think about when it’s brand new…

At a minimum, I’d expect it to last long enough that I could sell or give it to someone else when I’m done with it. Alternatively if it’s a one-time-use thing like signage, it should at least be recyclable.

Try and think about this the next time you’re buying something – if you struggle to come up with an end-of-life or next destination on the spot, try googling for one.

If you still come up empty… could that be an opportunity?

And if that sounds like a weird question – here are some companies that saw waste as an opportunity, and are nailing it:

Wastewood: Rescues timber for resale – with the popularity of rustic looking furniture, recycled timber often commands higher prices than new.

Upparel: Accepts old clothes, shoes and garments and recycles or repurposes them into new products.

Reverse Garbage: Accepts just about everything else! From old theatre props to foam-fillers to windows and doors to paper of every kind, they’ll accept tonnes of stuff (as long as it’s still useful) and resell it. They even run kids workshops and corporate “maker” events.