In a world dominated by consumerism and having the newest product as soon as possible, it’s nice to take a step back and see what items you can source from others. From electronics, to furniture, there are a huge number of websites geared towards finding pre owned items a new home. But where to begin? What websites and apps are out there? I’m going to spend this blog telling you about a few you might already know, and a few you might not.

For electronics, I recently discovered BackMarket, a website which sells refurbished goods. From smart phones, to games consoles, to cameras, to laptops... if you’re looking for anything electronic you’ll most likely be able to find it here. A lot of people question what the difference between ‘used’ and ‘refurbished’ is, but Back Market have that explanation covered on their website:

‘In both cases, the two devices are pre owned or "second-hand" but that's where the similarities end. A refurbished [product] has been tuned up and brought back to perfect working condition in a factory before being sold on Back Market. So basically a refurbished [product] has the double advantage of being both cheap as well as also having a professional refurbisher guarantee its excellent quality.’

I made a purchase from Back Market recently and was so overjoyed by it. My laptop speakers are on their last legs, and music is a huge part of mine and my partners life but it became frustrating when my laptop speakers started distorting every single sound. We’d been discussing the idea of buying a bluetooth speaker my partner remembered Back Market. We bought a JBL Flip 5 (which has a recommended retail price of €130) for €100. It was advertised as having visible scratches and wear, but when it arrived we were happily surprised to see that it looked brand new. I love being able to purchase something of good quality, without having to contribute to consumerism, by giving a ‘used’ product a new home. 

For second hand items that haven’t been refurbished, it’s good to check websites like Gumtree or your Facebook marketplace. Consider these websites, however, as similar to that of a charity shop. There might be a lot of spam (or what my dad calls ‘tat,’) to get through before you find what you’re looking for. When me and my partner were moving from the UK to France we sold all of our furniture on Gumtree either for free or for around half the cost of what we originally paid. They were all picked up quickly, were wanted and resulted in us having a bit of cash in our pockets. Other alternatives to Gumtree are Craigslist, Ebay, Etsy, Wallapop, Trove Market and Krrb. In France we have Paruvendu and LeBonCoin. It only takes a moment to find the website for your area, and then you’re sailing!

If you live in a big city, you probably also stumble into things left on the street. Me and my partner found and brought home two HUGE epic mirrors last year, which were originally part of a dresser which had been dismantled and left on the curb. We also found an ikea clothes rail that, once given a clean, now has a new home in our flat. If it doesn’t gross you out (which it shouldn’t, because almost everything can be cleaned and fixed up) you can find some real gems out there.

It also takes no time to hit up your family and friends and see what they have that they don’t want any more. Myself and my partner recently moved, and were lucky enough to have lots of his family members give us their old furniture. If you’re handy or creative, it takes little to no time to give these items a new lease of life. Something small that bugs me with furniture is that I don’t like having lots of different wood tones in a room. It makes me feel like the room is disorganised. On the flip side, I love painting. I’m not good at it, but I love it. And so when we were given some different tables in varying sizes I decided to give them a bit of a makeover.

(Image of a coffee table painted with a white base and orange, green and pink lines to look somewhat like a road map, inspired by Lucy and Yak’s ‘Sundaze’ collection as well as Samiir Saunders, and also of a round end table, painted in circular stripes in the same colours.)

When it comes to fashion, check out shops that sell vintage fashion or dead stock (I’ll insert a link of two previous blogs here & here on the topic!) Otherwise, check out what fashion swaps there might be in your area. These kinds of markets are becoming increasingly popular, where you take some items from your wardrobe that you wouldn’t mind saying goodbye to and swap them with others to keep your wardrobe fresh and to ensure that the clothing is not mindlessly being thrown into a charity bin. If you can’t find a swap market in your area, start one with your friends and make it regular thing. Otherwise, if you have a special event coming where you feel like you need a one off, special item, look into renting (one to check out is The Endless Wardrobe)!

And what about one of the most wasted products on Earth? Food. Food is thrown away at an alarming rate, and for reasons that can seem pointless. An apple has a bruise? Some bread has a bit of mould on the corner? You have leftovers from a new days ago and they look a bit sad now? You only needed one pepper, but they only come in a pack of three? Food waste is a huge issue, and a huge emitter of green house gases. (Check out this Deliciously Ella podcast episode where she speaks to Tessa Clarke.) There are a number of ways this can be combated. By joining the sharing app OLIO, which allows you to share unwanted groceries with your neighbours. Or get your community on board without apps by heading to local council meetings and speaking up on the issue. In some areas across the world, fridges are set up in public spaces to provide a solution to this problem (you can find another article on public fridges here!)

By adapting this way of consuming products, you inadvertently begin to lean towards a more circular economy. Instead of throwing something out and replacing it with something new, you learn to search for what is already out there. You begin to make use of someone else’s unwanted items, and in turn, be more aware of what you already own. ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,’ rings a bell here.

What items have you found that, without you taking them, would have been thrown away? What methods of reusing and re-purposing do you have using items you already own? What websites do you check before buying something new? Let me know by commenting below.

Until next time,