‘Stuff’ is one of those words that evokes emotion. Most of us have a lot of it, all attached to certain segments of our lives.
There’s the stuff that’s required to meet immediate needs — such as cooking, clothing and shelter. The stuff that’s for entertainment. The stuff that’s for work. The stuff that makes us look and feel good. The stuff that’s required for kids. The stuff that’s simply everywhere.
I know I’m not alone when it comes to collecting stuff. I see the outcomes of hoarding in the households of friends and family members, and even on the desks of colleagues. The collections of books, CDs and DVDs — that for many of us are simply redundant now that digital versions are available — and there’s the clothing that’s never been worn, the kitchen appliances that are no longer required, and the nicknacks and trinkets that uselessly adorn available bench tops.
It’s the accumulation of stuff that a part of me believes defines who I am. And yet the sensible version of me knows that we’re all much more than the possessions we own. Most of us are guilty of ‘over consumption’, but to throw it all out would be even more of a sickening waste. Indeed, often it’s the thought of such waste that keeps us bound to such objects — even more so than the emotional attachment we often blame such hoarding on. I bought it or was given it, therefore I must keep it, just in case I need it again.
Enter the global sharing movement which aims to help with those of us who feel overwhelmed by stuff, as well as those who may actually get some use out of the stuff that others no longer need. And, thankfully, there are a number of start-ups realising the potential of ‘sharing’ and making it easier to develop productive sharing relationships and keep your stuff out of the bin.
One such start-up is TuShare, which provides a forum for users to post pictures of unwanted items online that other users can then arrange to pick up. The brand has been developed by former pay TV boss Petra Buchanan, who was approached to work on the idea last year by CSIRO executive and former judge on the ABC’s New Inventors program, James Bradfield Moody.
Buchanan recently told me the “collaborative consumption” movement, as it’s known, is a way of helping each other that better fits our changing economic and societal needs. It involves adjusting our thinking on ownership to a mindset that values transparency, participation, and collaboration. “A number of factors have come together to influence this trend; the availability of underutilised resources with high idle times, the worldwide recession, the growth of trust networks generated by social media, and a growing need for community,” she says.
She believes much of this change is being led by women — those of us who are seeking to create new business and personal opportunities that are flexible, adaptable and better suited to lifestyles that’s don’t necessarily meet the Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, schedule of the industrial era.
“With this in mind, we created TuShare, an online marketplace that taps the idle assets that sit in homes across Australia, connecting a community of people who like to give and get great stuff for free,” she says. “Our members tend to be females who realise that how they live has a big impact on what gets bought and sold and now can be shared.”
Over the coming days TuShare is encouraging all of us to get involved by sharing around one kilo of stuff (that’s the weight of around four dresses) instead of throwing it in the bin. It kicked off the campaign over the weekend in partnership with 1 Million Women, hosting a ‘Flash Sharing Extravaganza’ that aims to have women sharing over 5000 items in the lead up to World Environment Day on 5 June.
It’s one way of getting rid of at least some of that unwanted stuff — without having to feel the guilt of it ending up in the bin.
Sign up to the 5000 Shares Challenge here..