Tons of Trash

March of Trash, day 31

During March of Trash we repaired, recycled, gave away, sold, composted, burned, and trashed tons of stuff. The pickup truck I saw, said to be on its last legs and on its way out, must have weighed at least two tons by itself. We put things away. We found stuff we had lost or forgotten. We upgraded our lives by throwing away worn-out shoes, chairs, cooking pots, sheets, and towels, replacing the worn-out items with better ones we already had. Tons of obsolete paper files were recycled. Neglected equipment found its way back into the flow after being given away or sold. This list included hair cutting shears, a bread machine, a carpet cleaner, a typewriter, and a guitar game controller. A strobe light and a snow shovel were repaired and returned to use. At least one participant has set aside stacks of boxes for a tag sale in April.

One big name-brand business got in on March of Trash this year, designating a “spring cleaning” event and taking away white boards and filing cabinets that were no longer in use. Meanwhile, the number of individuals participating in this year’s March of Trash continued to grow and had passed 200 by last week.

It wasn’t all easy work. I know I’ve reached the end of the month with stronger arms and legs after carrying so many heavy things during March. The result, though, is lives that have better focus and rooms that have more room for action. Congratulations to those who completed their March of Trash scorecards or are closing in on that accomplishment. Now, on to the “cleaning” part of spring cleaning!