“In Seattle, they’ve organized a swap meet at the county landfill as a way to reduce the amount of waste going into the landfill. A swap meet could easily be set up at the Buncombe County landfill once a month.”

Meet You at the Landfill “Swap Meet”
By Andrea Helm

I love junk. Not the kind of junk you like if you’re Keith Richards, but rather the junk that is other people’s unwanted stuff. On weekends, there’s nothing I enjoy more than going to yard sales, flea markets, and our many fine local thrift shops in search of a bargain. I’m trying to live lightly on the earth these days, so there’s a higher purpose for my thrifting than just saving a few dollars. I’m concerned about the state of the planet and I’m looking for ways to recycle goods and generate less garbage. 

For some people, it might be hard to believe that not all garbage is garbage. In Seattle, they’ve organized a swap meet at the county landfill as a way to reduce the amount of waste going into the landfill. Once a month from April ‘til October, people load up furniture, appliances, and boxes of stuff no longer wanted or needed and bring it to the landfill. Hundreds of people turn out every month for the event, and a lot of items are kept out of the waste stream. There’s one rule: If you want something someone else has, you have to swap for it. No money can be exchanged. 

I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve done my share of dumpster diving. Like I said, not all garbage is garbage. You wouldn’t believe the perfectly usable stuff that people throw away. As an old junker, I especially miss the Dreamland Drive-In. For you recent Asheville arrivals, the Dreamland was an old drive-in theater lot that the owner turned into a five-acre outdoor flea market. You could find tools, artwork, baby clothes, baby kittens, you name it. My friends and I would go almost every weekend, drinking big-gulp cups of the strong “sweet tea” from the concession stand because it was hot as Hades in August. We’d wander for hours, trying on hats or digging through boxes of name tags, and bringing home good junk that otherwise might have been thrown away. It was a great way to get exercise and meet your neighbors. Sadly, the land on which Dreamland once thrived is now a Lowe’s parking lot. I miss it and the simple idea behind it.

I rarely go to the mall or pay retail, but I have a wonderful collection of antiques and collectibles, most of which have come from yard sales and second-hand stores. My home is decorated in a style my mom jokingly refers to as “early attic.”  I bought a sterling-silver jewelry box at a thrift store for my aunt for her birthday, along with two decoupage bathroom wall art with froggies in a bubble bath. I paid $5 for all three pieces. She called to thank me when she got the present and said, “I love opening a present from you ... you just never know what you're going to get!”

That’s the joy of shopping at a second-hand store or visiting a swap meet: you never know what you're going to find. I’ve come across a gorgeous sapphire-colored Italian cashmere and silk sweater with mother-of-pearl buttons. I paid $2 for it ... the woman who owned it before I did probably paid $500. I recently found a very collectible California Miramar party platter that's worth about $75 ... I paid $4.99 plus tax.

Just last week, I found a set of “Blue Heaven” dishware that was very popular in the ‘50s and ‘60s. There were 35 pieces and I paid $13 for it all. (The starting bid for one plate on ebay.com is $10.) I bought four folding chairs from the ‘50s for $2.99 each. I could sell the set for $100 or more if I wanted to, but of course they’re sitting on my front porch – along with the fantastic rocking chair I recycled from the side of the road where someone left it when they didn’t want it anymore. It made my day to find it, and every afternoon when the sun starts to set, I’m on my porch sitting in that wonderful comfortable rocking chair that didn’t cost me a penny.

The man currently in charge of ruining our country told us that the best way we Americans could help the economy is to “go shopping!” I disagree. In fact, that ideology is hurting we the people. Our children are not being taught the importance of conservation, and our material-obsessed culture tends to poo-poo the notion that something old might be better than something new. By limiting my visits to the mall and by reusing second-hand items, I’m making an effort to help keep us from drowning in trash one day.

One group has made a great start toward that goal – check out www.freecycle.org. I like their mission and their motto: “Changing the world one gift at a time.” Users can either post a listing for whatever they’re giving away, or you can browse the listings in hopes of finding that old salvage porcelain bathtub for your back yard. But I like the idea of having a local swap meet in person; it gets you away from the computer and outside in the fresh air to interact with people and show your appreciation for your new possessions. 

A swap meet could easily be set up at the Buncombe County landfill once a month. Local salvage companies or the Salvation Army could come out and take whatever is left at the end of the day. Local non-profits could sell veggie weenies as a fundraiser, and use the opportunity to educate swap-meeters about their involvement in the community. Kids would get the message that it’s cool to recycle once they found a favorite toy they liked. There’s less garbage. The landfill would last longer. Stuff that would have been thrown away finds a new home. Fun might actually be had in the process. And it’s all free.

Now I ask you: What could be better than free?

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article first appeared in The Greener Home inside the June 2007 issue of Rapid River Magazine.

Copyright 2007 MediaBear, all rights reserved to the author

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