“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
Here at Swampum, we value and respect the world that hosts and sustains us. We also value and respect the people who share this world with us. These core values guide us in what we are creating. So on World Environment Day, we reflect on how best to build a platform that allows individuals to exchange secondhand goods—with people next door or far away—and support the environment with each transaction.
Supporting people and the environment
The ongoing reuse of secondhand goods benefits everyone. Individuals:
- Save money: Used items are less expensive, sometimes significantly than new
- Live more simply: Cleaning out no-longer-wanted things, and passing them along to others who can use them, creates a cleaner and more peaceful living space
- Feel better: Being a better steward of resources, by using and discarding less, can offset the negative effects of living in a consumption-driven society
The environment also benefits from reduced raw material use (and the energy and expense of acquiring and distributing them), extended product lives, and less waste in landfills and incinerators.
Baby steps, grown-up outcomes
Small actions accumulate to significant achievements. This is true both individually (e.g., acquiring a new skill) and collectively (e.g., building a successful company). Each person who buys used books or declutters a home contributes to a collective positive change in society and the environment. And living simply and happily encourages more people to adopt similar principles, which benefits everyone.
Be the difference
So join us! Post your success stories about reading secondhand books instead of buying new ones, finding some great fashion item at a thrift store, repurposing something that would otherwise have ended in the landfill before its time, or simplifying your life and space by passing your unwanted things on to others who can use them.
Use our platform to benefit your life, the lives of your loved ones, and the world around you. With every exchange of a secondhand item, you’ll be helping the environment, and changing the world a little for the better.
