Turning Trash into Treasure
26 MAY 2 0 2 1
EXPLORE YOUR BORO
BY ALLISON KRIDLE
Most of us can’t imagine a
world in which we don’t
buy anything — no online
purchases, impulse buys
or even thrifted goods.
But some locals envision
a world where shopping
isn’t so engrained in our lives, such
as those who run hyper-local Buy
Nothing Facebook pages and the
@stoopinginqueens Instagram. These
western Queens residents use social
media to build a tight-knit community
and increase environmentalism in our
neighborhood.
There are many reasons why people join
Buy Nothing Facebook groups. The locationbased
communities are full of members who
want to save money, love the act of giving,
wish to interact with neighbors and build
community and are concerned about how
consumerism is affecting the environment.
Buy Nothing Northwest Astoria member
Catherine Gellene joined the group in January
of 2019 as a way to avoid putting unwanted
items in a landfill.
“I love cleaning and keeping my space
minimal, but hate throwing things out, knowing
the negative impact it has on the environment.
I also loved the idea of giving something
that I no longer wanted or needed a
new life in another home. Recently, I also felt
like I wanted to get more involved in my community,
and this felt like a nice way to connect
to others and be a part of a larger project of
giving and sustainability,” Gellene said.
Recently, Gellene gave away about 20
Fresh Direct shopping bags to people who
shared them with friends and family and even
donated them to the Astoria Food Pantry. “It
was cool, too, because in conversation with
people in the group, I also learned more
about organizations in my neighborhood
that I hope to get more involved with like The
Connected Chef, the community fridges and
the Astoria Pantry and their free store,” Gellene
said.
Images via Buy Nothing
Local online communities find alternatives to throwing things out