When someone says "sustainable living", many people think of sacrifice. No meat, no flying, no consumption. Sounds exhausting. Sometimes it is.
But there's one aspect of sustainability that takes almost no effort and still makes a real difference: Sharing and passing on items instead of throwing them away.
The Numbers Behind the Waste
Switzerland throws away around 730 kilograms of waste per person every year. That's one of the highest figures in the world. Part of it is unavoidable – packaging, food scraps, consumables. But a shockingly large portion consists of things that still work.
Furniture, clothing, electronics, household items. Things someone else could still use. Instead, they end up in the skip, the incinerator, the landfill.
That's not just a shame – it's also ecologically problematic. Every product we buy has an ecological footprint. Manufacturing requires energy, water, raw materials. Transport causes emissions. When we throw a product away after a short time, all that effort was for nothing.
Why Sharing Is So Effective
Here comes the positive part.
Every item that gets passed on instead of thrown away extends its lifecycle. A chair that stood at your place for ten years and then another five at someone else's has amortized its ecological footprint over 15 years instead of 10.
That sounds abstract, but it's concrete. When you give away a sofa instead of disposing of it, someone else doesn't have to buy a new sofa. That means: A factory doesn't have to produce a new sofa. No trees felled, no fabric woven, no transport from the factory to the store.
The math is simple: Reuse is almost always better than new production, even when the new production is "sustainable".
The Difference from Recycling
Recycling is good, but reuse is better.
When you send a chair for recycling, it gets dismantled, the materials are processed, maybe eventually a new chair comes out of it. That requires energy and isn't lossless – not everything can be recycled.
When you give the same chair away, someone sits in it tomorrow. No processing, no energy expenditure, maximum benefit.
The sustainability hierarchy is clear: Avoid > Reuse > Recycle > Dispose. And sharing is the simplest form of reuse.
Why It Still Happens So Little
If sharing makes so much sense, why don't more people do it?
First: Convenience. Throwing something in the skip is easier than listing it online and waiting for someone to pick it up. The ecological effect is abstract, the effort is concrete.
Second: Ignorance. Many people don't know that there are easy ways to pass things on. Or they underestimate that someone would still want their "old" stuff.
Third: Shame. Some find it embarrassing to offer used items. As if it were a sign of poverty or cheapness. When in fact the opposite is true.
The Cultural Shift
The good part: Things are changing.
The younger generation has a different relationship with possessions. Second-hand clothing has become normal, even cool. Sharing economy is a buzzword, but also a reality. People borrow cars, share apartments, swap clothes.
In this context, giving things away makes sense. It's not the opposite of consumption, but a different form of it. More conscious, more sustainable, more social.
What You Can Concretely Do
If you're convinced and want to get started, here are a few practical steps.
Start small. Next time you want to throw something away, ask yourself: Could someone else still use this? If yes, list it online or put it by the door.
Make it a habit. Not as a big project, but as a normal routine. Just like you separate your glass for recycling, you pass on usable items.
Tell others about it. Not like a missionary, but casually. "I got that shelf for free" is a conversation opener. Maybe it'll inspire someone.
The Limits of Individual Impact
To be honest: What you and I do as individuals won't stop climate change. The big levers lie with industry, policy, systemic change.
But that doesn't mean individual actions are pointless. They change the culture. They show that a different way of living is possible. And they do save resources – maybe not enough, but still.
Besides: It feels good. That's a legitimate reason too.
Conclusion
Sharing and passing things on is one of the simplest steps toward a more sustainable life. It takes little effort, saves resources, and makes other people happy.
On PIKITUP we're trying to make this step even easier. A map showing you what's available near you. No hurdles, no complications.
Maybe your next sustainable step is giving something away. Or accepting something used. Both count.
How do you live sustainably in everyday life? I'm curious – hello@pikitup.ch