So you have some stuff it’s time to get rid of. Gone are the good old days of throwing stuff away without any attacks of conscience for harming the environment; this is the 21st century and nothing is simple when it comes to the disposal of unwanted property.
It’s the 21st Century - you can’t throw things away anymore
So tossing those old clothes just because they don’t fit any longer or trashing that used TV set because you got a larger one is no longer socially acceptable. Why not try to make some money by selling them? You could try your hand at a yard sale, but those can be messy and you are still stuck with the unwanted stuff that doesn’t sell when it is over. Not to worry, this is the internet age and many people have discovered the gigantic online garage sale known as Ebay. For those who aren’t aware (where have you been?), Ebay is a magical online wonderland where you can put your junk up for auction in the hopes that the masses will somehow recognise the extraordinary value of owning these items you wish to get rid of.
So Ebay is the answer to all of your disposal problems? Well not so fast. Ebay, while popular, is not necessarily the best way to go. In fact here are five great reasons why recycling is actually a better option than Ebay:
First off, please understand that by recycling we’re not just talking about properly disposing of plastic and glass bottles, paper and aluminium cans. Nowadays many things can be recycled, including many kinds of electronics and industrial equipment, such as computers, televisions, stereos, etc. Additionally many things, if still in good working order, can simply be reused. If you have clothing, furniture or electronics that still work but you no longer need other people may be able to make good use of these. However, just because your old things may be useful doesn’t mean they are potentially profitable.
Old TVs - Ebay/Recycling/Charity shop - what’s best?
We’ve all heard the saying, “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure” (or is it another man’s garbage?!). Over estimating the value and desirability of their former treasures is a common pitfall encountered by would-be internet auction entrepreneurs. “I got so much joy out of my bowling trophy collection, why wouldn’t dozens (if not hundreds) of other people want to battle for the right to own them.” Honestly let’s face it, some of this stuff might be of interest to someone, but have you ever taken a good look at the number of auctions on Ebay that end up with zero bids?
The only entity guaranteed to make money on Ebay is Ebay corporation who collect their fees whether you sell your items or not. So what happens when you list your items and one or more of them don’t sell or don’t sell for enough money for you to realise a profit? You are back in the previously mentioned yard sale scenario, you have put in time, money and effort, and you still have this stuff you need to get rid of. By recycling the stuff you can avoid wasting time, effort and money on Ebay.
If everyone’s getting rid of their SNES’s at the same time, you won’t get much
Another reason recycling is better than Ebay is personal validation. No one (well hardly anyone) I know has ever gotten up in the morning, looked themselves in the mirror and said “boy I am proud of myself for selling that box of clothes that cost me £300 new for £5 on Ebay”. However, taking that same box of clothes and recycling it by donating them to a charity can certainly help you feel good about yourself. Knowing you have done a good thing by helping others while divesting of your unwanted wares at the same time can go a long way towards good karma.
If you don’t believe in Karma here’s a different reason to recycle instead of selling on Ebay: potential financial gain. That’s right. Consider the potential tax ramifications of selling a used video game system on Ebay versus donating it to a worthy charity as mentioned above. Let’s suppose that video game system has a cash value of £100. However due to a glut in the Ebay market or just plain poor luck you only sell yours for £20. But hey, £20 is better than nothing right? If you had recycled that system by donating it you may have been able to take part or all of the value as a deduction on your income taxes. Not being a licensed tax advisor I can’t tell you definitively that you can, but this is certainly worth investigating with your taxadvisor before taking the Ebay plunge.
Bubblewrap: fun, but bad for the environment.
Finally, if the above reasons have not compelled you to consider recycling then think about this: recycling is simply better for the environment. Now you might be thinking whoa this is just silly tree hugger talk, we know recycling is good for the environment but “I’m not throwing this stuff in a landfill, I’m selling it for someone else to reuse”. While that may be true, consider the aforementioned video game console. Once it is sold on Ebay the seller will need to pack and ship the item to the buyer. This will likely include the utilization of large amounts of packing materials such as foam peanuts, bubble wrap, scotch tape, a large box or shipping container, packing tape, etc. None of these materials do anything to help the environment. However, recycling the item locally can significantly limit or eliminate the need for any or all of those environmentally harmful materials.
When everything else is said and done - Recycling’s better for the environment
In these difficult economic times it can be very tempting to view Ebay as a way to try to make some “easy” cash. However, once you take the above factors into account, it is easy to see how recycling is a better and more responsible option.
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