myrmepropagandist
NYC could use something like "free stores" a place where one could take useable junk, or grab useable junk that's less fussy than thrift shops tend to be here (they have little space and want only new high-end things, it's understandable)
There is so much stuff in NYC apartments and little in they way of systems to moving it around to make people happier, even though I think there *are* people who would be delighted with this random music box, and if you have an old computer I want it.
Rocketman
@futurebird In the German city where I went to uni, the system for disposing of furniture and other large items was that there’d be 3-4 pickup days per year and per district.
So people would put their old stuff on the curb the night before. And people with less money - students and others - would comb the district, and take what they wanted.
It worked great! We still have a few things from that time.
Rocketman
@futurebird So maybe now that NYC has finally invented the trash can, they can move on to the next cutting-edge innovation in disposal 😏
Waiting for the Tide
@KaKetelmug @futurebird @dan613 Also, can we address the level of quality between men's and women's clothing? My husband can buy a shirt and have it for years. I spend twice what he pays and it gets holes in like five minutes. I buy men's t-shirts for exercise and layering for this reason, because they last so much longer.
:tzcat08: KaKetelmug :tzcat26:
@futurebird @dan613 yep, that's a fundamental problem: in the free shop we notice the quality of clothing has gone down absurdly. The fabric of a T-shirt 20y old is better than of a new one still with label..
Repairing or making your own clothing is "out": It's cheaper to buy a sweater than to knit it yourself.
I do some upcycling as one of the free shop side projects, but it is still a drop on the hot plate of overproduction.
The "quality wardrobe" you describe is an exception unfortunately.
myrmepropagandist
Addressing the clothing waste problem would require making systems that made higher quality clothing (clothing worth repairing) more available as well as encouraging tailoring, made to measure sizing, and repair.
I don't know where to start with much of it, getting my own wardrobe under control was expensive and not intuitive. But now most of what I own can be fixed until worn out, and it all fits perfectly so I look gooooooood.
:tzcat08: KaKetelmug :tzcat26:
@dan613 @futurebird
I do hope so, still, even if you see it as a "clothing library" (yes. some stuff comes back multiple times), I'm pretty sure the amount of clothing that passes our small shop in a year could have clothed the whole of Berlin twice over. So.. where does it all end up?? We suspect some "hoarders" shop with us, but only a small percentage. I'm afraid free shops are only a very small, & temporary, "hold" on the clothing mill, and still a lot of stuff gets dumped when still good..
Dan Neuman
@KaKetelmug @futurebird I think clothing obtained this way actually reduces the clothing produced overall. I've certainly donated stuff because the hassle of returning and risk of it being trashed was too high. And it's a bit like Rent the Runway without the renting part. Or runway, usually.
:tzcat08: KaKetelmug :tzcat26:
@futurebird I volunteer in such a free shop In Berlin which exists about 15-20 years now, rent is paid by donations. People bring stuff, others pick it up. We actually have a huge turnaround: if something is in the shop >3 weeks, it's usually out of season (xmas decoration!). Especially household items & books go quickly. But I do wonder about the huge mass of clothing that passes our shop: books you read and pass on, until they really fall apart, but the amount of clothing is truly crazy..
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