Glew Street recycling

I happened to have my camera when I came across this most recent example of Brunswick style recycling. The grand old armchair had clearly seen better days. There were alarming bulges in the seat, and the wood, although solid, was battered. The attached sign read: “Free to good home. Speculation for accumulation. Invest a few dollars and then resell at a profit.” Obviously, the message had resonated: a young man was already loading it into his truck, with help from the former owner. “It went like that”, said the older man, clicking his fingers.

There is a downside to the footpath swap market. Too frequently, old television sets and electronic equipment are dumped. It takes third world patience and desperation to recycle the valuable metals and substances in the circuits. But who knows, perhaps one day it will no longer be considered foolish to go to the trouble to reclaim these. And we will apparently have to wait until 2013 for retail outlets to accept electronic good for recycling or return. This is not good enough.