Below find an incomplete list if things we found on rubbish tips near us or prevented from going even that far during the last year. This list only includes the things that I remember and I know as soon as I publish this list, I'll remember half a dozen others, but it gives you a flavour anyway:
We start with our latest find, a piggy iron watering can:
..and on the piggy theme a piggy bank:
It actually had money in it, but unfortunately they were old Italian Lire, which are no longer legal tender. The rude inscription means "What balls!".
Next, ampngst the many bits of furniture we found a new Ikea occasional table,
a sturdy bookshelf with one slightly gnawed leg,
a fold-up high chair,
a comfy arm chair (ok ugly pattern and a bit dirty, because the dog likes lying in it...but comfy!)
Numerous other more rickety chairs, some are sitting on our land others eventually fed the fire.
On top of that a number of useful kitchen implements such as this espresso maker with all bit attached and fully functioning, retail value €60:
a pasta maker, which just needed cleaning up a bit,
an almost complete matching dinner set
as well as numerous non-matching plates, bowls baking trays and saucepans and a new bucket and mop
We also found 2 bicycles, one mountain bike needing minor repairs and a sports bike, still needing an overhaul.
a large, sturdy rucksack, ideal for going skipping with to save more things from landfills
Finally not pictured a pair of new Diesel trainers in Susan's size, numerous bits of wood for either burning or repairing our terraces, glass windows for constructing cold frames (another one is planned), some functioning wrist watches (I didn't even know I needed one), some picture frames and... and... that's all I can remember just now.
Isn't it amazing what people throw away?
28 comments:
I am planning to get myself a pasta maker for some time. The one you found seems like very good one!
crazy isn't it? I 'll think of you next time I throw stuff out, which I do not do much. I remember the book shelf.
Look after your toe
Larica, it's a great pasta maker. It's got a decent bit of weight to it so it doesn't move about too easily. Like yourself, I've been wanting one for some time.
Babette, that bookshelf didn't actually make it as far as the skip. Quite a few of our neighbours actually go around asking if anyone wants their old stuff before they start carting all the way down to the skip.
We take all our extra stuff to the Salvatiion Army thrift store here(gotta go there every week anyway just to look for good deals). I can remember my father making special trips to certain dumps in our area to look for good stuff. Now they don't let anyone do that here for insurance reason I'm sure.
You said Isn't it amazing what people throw away?
Some people freecycle in Italy and elsewhere.
Becky, unfortunately they don't have any charity shops here, something I miss, just overpriced second hand / "antique" shops.
Mike, I am about to set up a Freecycle group for our area. I'm not allowed to announce it just yet, but keep you posted for when it is all ready to go.
It's amazing and very shocking how much good stuff people throw away. You've got some great finds here. Hope you're better soon and out foraging again!
CL, I'll be right as rain. Yes foraging... There's some nice greens for godd wild salad starting to appear... hmmm
One man's trash is another man's treasure! I like the pig watering can. Must be made out of pig iron... Ha! Ha!
The things people throw away is amazing! I got my first rototiller that way. It was actually put out for bulk trash pickup. I got it home, put gas in it, pulled the rope, and it started right up. It even had a 3 forward speed and 1 reverse gear transmission that all worked! It was faded and the gas tank was bent, but it worked for me!
Veggie PAK, I reckon that pig is bringing us luck for the new year! Great about that rotorvator. Maybe it was an unwanted wedding present... ;)
Isn't it amazing and disturbing what people toss? We found 2 almost new fiberglass 18 foot ladders in a dumpster. New ones would have cost us $450 (US) each. Other goodies we've found: like new 5 gallon buckets, oodles of canning jars, a beautiful oak desk with a broken drawer (easily fixed by my husband), a fleece blanket, and a huge selection of yard/garden tools (rakes, shovels, hoes, etc.). Amazing.
Kristina
Wow, I had the hardest time getting your blog to come up this morning...keep your eye out for a new computer at the land fill for me will you.:) I love the piggy watering can...very nice. Can't believe you found a good pasta maker in the dump, must be a lot of rich people in your neighborhood.
Speaking of piggies I hope your toe feels better soon, hope it's nothing too serious.
Toe = A part of the foot used to find furniture in the dark.:)
Yes Kristina, canning jars and buckets were amongst our hauls.
Mr H., speaking of finding blogs: my sidebar tells me you've done a post about no cows, but can't find it anywhere. I could do with new computer myself, mine's ancient.
I've operated on the toe and it's improving. :)
No Cow, What Now was an old post that needed to have a few egregious spelling errors fixed and being the clumsy oaf that I am my fingers hit the wrong button...oops.
I once had an ingrown toenail that I suffered with for years and when it was finally so badly infected that I became concerned for the life of the toe I went in and had the doctors cut part of the nail off...now that toe is fine but I lost all feelings in the neighboring two toes...his knife must have hit a nerve or something. The tips on both of them turn a pretty purple color in the winter. Darn doctors, you go in with one bad toe and come out with two.
Good going. That pasta maker is a real find! My garbage man in Sicily knows I like old things, and sometimes pulls a treasure out of his truck for me before it makes it to the landfill. (But I must find out where the landfill is....)
Ooh I used to love looking in skips when I lived in England...a habit I inherited from my Dad. Nothing gets thrown out here...the Turks are very thrifty...they won't part with anything until it's of absolutely no use to anyone.
Hope the toe is better soon x
Top wombling Heiko. I love the fact that people dump stuff they no longer want near the bins as more often than no it gets recycled.
Even the old fridges get sorted, first the rag and bone man comes and rips off the copper to resell, then someone else takes the rest of the fridge to use as a deep bed.
Our best bin finds so far have been a funky light fitting, a machine to sort olives from leaves and, best of all, a neighbour gave me his old passata-making machine destined for the bins.
Mr H, I don't think my is that bad, just an infected blister from too much walking in a slightly too small shoe. It's on the mend already. I pharmacist friend of ours wanted to put me on antibiotics, but I won't let any medicals near it!
Jann, many of the neighbours will ask around BEFORE they carry it all the way to the roadside.
Ayak, that's the way it should be, that people re-use as long as possible. I think this throw-away mentality in Italy is a relatively new phenomenon.
Contadina, true even fridges get recycled here. What I have recently noticed though with TV changing from analog to digital, people throwing piles of old TVs away. No more use for them except for an aquarium maybe...
If it's a really old TV, with doors, I'm thinking drinks cabinet :-)
Great finds - thanks for encouraging us all!
Thanks Helen. Welcome to my blog.
Ciao Heiko and best wishes for 2011, I am back at last catching up on so much that I missed while I was away from the blogsphere! Thankyou for comments you left on News From Italy while I was absent, to which I have replied there :)
I am impressed by the standard of rubbish thrown away in your region! My favourite has to be the pig watering can.
hows that toe, brother? and yes my fav is the pig watering can
;-)
Hi Sis, toe is on the mend, thanks. And yes, for some irrational reason that piggy watering can is my fave too. Strange that you as a pig hater like it though?
Hey there Heiko....How is that toe? I am waiting for a new post and pictures. Give us some Italian sun. We are drowning in 22" of snow : ).
Hope you are well!
Hey WF! Toe is fine. Busy repairing terraces with my cousin who is over with us at the moment. Updatye coming up soon, however not much Italian sunshine to report... :(
Oh wow, what a haul. I like the pasta maker! I've been wanting one for awhile!
What a great lot of stuff! We used to be able to get stuff from the tip here... until they moved it a reorganised. Although I did ask if I could have a window blind and the bloke said I could.
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