Not really a discussion but since everyone here so often has problems with recycling or passing on items I thought I would let you know what happens in China. We're such a global bunch and I'm always so interested in the differences in options we all have. Plus sharing is caring :-)
Today I dragged 2 rubbermaid boxes, 2 under bed storage boxes, a box full of odd kitchen bits (like a glass tea pot and cup- all brand new from a friend who left town) about 15 cushions and a box of old and new clothes about 2m long and 50cm wide and high out to the rubbish bin. One of the groundsmen saw me and came to give me a hand dragging stuff out. Actually groundsman makes him sound rather grand and stately... his job is to walk the streets of our gated community and collect trash. He doesn't empty bins you understand... just street trash and there is very very little of that. I told him he was welcome to anything I was throwing out and pointed out the box of kitchen bits.
He was embarrassingly grateful and totally baffled as to why I would bin such good stuff and happily tucked the best bits into his rubbish bag (no where else to put them and I suspect management frown on them doing this). I went back into the house and sat on the sofa that looks onto the street. Within two hours everything except the box the clothes were in was gone. The drivers, cleaners, groundstaff etc had picked over everything there and taken what they liked. Clothes that fit my 6'2'' bear of a husband were taken with as much glee as my very old uk size 6 jeans (worn when I was 18!) The box was then taken away by the rubbish men.
I know that many of us want to make some money out of uncluttering and are loath to get rid of newish stuff. Whilst part of me feels the general guilt of having so much when some of the people who took what they wanted obviously have so little I feel good that everything has gone somewhere it was needed.
