Category: Z 2/15 – Trash to Treasure – Hannah, Samantha, Jerry, Christian, Nitya, Caroline, Daria

Today we learned about the sheer variety of goods at thrift stores. I was shocked to see just how many things can be repurposed for a greater good.

I picked up this cookbook, detailing how to hide fruits and vegetables in meals. I thought the title was comical and showed how old and outdated some things at thrift stores are.

We had a lot of fun exploring this thrift shop today and learning about repurposing/reusing things! I have seen posters around Cary Academy talking about fast fashion and why buying second-hand clothes is better for the environment. It was nice to be able to connect what we did today back to things going on at school. One thing that surprised me at the thrift store was that there were greeting cards. I never thought those were things that people would donate. I would think they would get used but apparently not!

Earlier in the day we visited the Scrap Exchange in Durham which is a non-profit creative reuse arts center that started in 1991! They collect all sorts of donated items similar to a thrift store, but also any kind of textiles or other items that can be used as art supplies. There were bins and bins filled with a wide variety of items that can be used alone or can be combined with other items and upcycled into something new! While we were there we found out that North Carolina generates almost 12 million tons of trash per year, so it was very cool to see a place that it working to cut down this number and offering a place for people to create artwork and other creations! Unfortunately we weren’t able to make anything while we were there, but we enjoyed looking around and learning about the organization.

 

Had an absolutely great time learning how I can be more sustainable and just how much stuff can be reused and repurposed! It was especially interesting just how many fake plants were at the thrift store—something very unexpected but shows just how almost everything we use/have can be recycled or repurposed compared to being thrown out. I will be more conscious in my efforts to produce less waste and buy secondhand much more often  

Today we learned about the importance of reusing clothes and going through the process of purchasing these items properly. I found four items: a green button up, a grey sweater, a black crewneck, and a cool puzzle piece. It was definitely an A-One day.

In the middle of the day, we took a trip to the Thrift Store in North Raleigh to try and find hidden gems that we could give a new life in our everyday wardrobe. It was very interesting to see everything that ends up in a thrift store and I was surprised to see how many items were still in new and well-kept condition. Additionally, there was an interesting section consisting of out-of-date technology that was actually very interesting with old monitors and other electronics that I could easily see me finding use from. My favorite item that I ended up purchasing was a pair of vintage NC State suspenders and while they might not be in my daily wear, I will definitely be wearing them to some football games in the near future!