There's a lot to say for re-cycling, and I haven't contributed to the lore yet. I do recycle and I profit by it while feeling very moral and eco-friendly. There is an area in our underground garage designated for cast-offs, unwanted stuff too good for the garbage but that might appeal to someone else. I call it the Basement Boutique; some give it our street number to add a little cachet. And it's amazing. I have given some great stuff. I have also made some great catches from it, items that leave me gleeful. It's a feeling that makes me understand the joy of dumpster-diving. I've never done it but I can see the appeal.

Everyone does it now, recycles, I mean. I know of a famous recycling project that has gone on for years, on Hornby Island, B.C. Years ago the enormous use the people make of recycled material was honoured by an architectural magazine. "Home-Made Hornby" featured several houses built entirely of driftwood and I guess flotsam and jetsam plus local contributions. There is a Free Store to which everyone donates, both goods and time. Volunteers sort and size and mend (in the case of clothing), clean and refurbish, if needed, and display the used wares for easy selection. I admired something in a local home and was proudly told that it was "bought" at the Free Store. While I was there I also "bought" something and contributed a pair of jeans that needed a new zipper. (I can't sew.)

The economic re-use of goods has proliferated with the national consciousness of our need to be ecologically responsible. The Salvation Army and Good Will have long been established as thrifty sources of re-used goods, oh, and Value Village. But there are more outlets and sources now than ever before, on public and private levels. Everyone loves a bargain, especially if it's free. We would like to reduce our footprint on the planet and if we can do it comfortably and gainfully, all the better.