Some people have an aversion to buying used items instead of new items, and a number of excuses to justify this habit.
The fragility of pre-owned goods, the germs from the previous owner, people's love of shopping - these are all myths that keep people buying new as opposed to reusing.
According to USA Today, the current recession was attributed to a 35 percent increase in sales that resale stores saw at the end of last year. The myths that depict reused items as tattered, dysfunctional and dirty are far from the truth.
Myth #1: It was used once, so it's going to fall apart.
Something that still functions after years of use advertises itself as durable rather than brittle. As for new items, in 2006, 40 percent of all consumer goods imported into the U.S. were made in China, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. This is just one of the countries where U.S. companies outsource their manufacturing.
Products made in China also accounted for 60 percent of recalls
in 2007, which isn't surprising considering the way products are made today. Companies want to make as many products as possible for as
little money as possible, so even if they are aware of the cheap
quality and questionable safety standards, the
low production cost wins.
It is often a better investment to purchase used goods because they are cheaper and - if they do break - it's not such a financial loss. If new products today are often produced in mass, with quality getting sacrificed for cheaper manufacturing cost, then a used item could be built better than a new one.
Myth #2: Someone else's germs are on the used items.
When it comes to buying clothes or dishes, people seem to be a little more wary of purchasing something used. As opposed to a clock on the wall or a bookshelf, these items are used and come into contact with the body daily, which makes some people uncomfortable.
Bacteria are mostly harmless and a trip through the wash cycle will quell those germy fears. Clothes should be washed with detergent on the warmest temperature listed on the clothing
label. This is effective for even the most resistant forms of bacteria,
according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Following cleaning instructions (or for dishes, a run through the dishwasher or hot water with detergent) avoids decreasing the effectiveness of the detergent. For people who
are just concerned with bacteria on used clothes but try on items at
clothing stores - those items come into contact with countless different bodies and bacteria.
Myth #3: I can't go shopping if I buy used items.
Breaking the habit of consumerism is tough for some people, but
garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops and eBay (as a last resort)
allow for more eco-conscious shopping. There is more variety, and personally, a garage sale or consignment
shop always has more interesting stuff
than the run-of-the-mill department store.
There's no need to be worried about reusing instead of buying new. It's a money-saving technique that
allows people to shop while preventing used products and new item packaging from going into the landfill.
Plus, a day of garage sale perusing doubles as a fun weekend activity.
Cathy Wilson is a senior studying journalism and a copy editor for The Post. Send her an e-mail at cw224805@ohiou.edu.
4 Opinion
Cathy Wilson
