SOCIAL media is enabling a thriving economy of secondhand goods to flourish in the Manning Valley.
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More than 13,000 local residents are members of Facebook page, Taree Buy Swap and Sell 2430 and every day people buy, sell and swap goods they no longer need.
It's a virtual garage sale and it is this community and the broader Manning Valley community that is being invited to gather-up their goods to take part in the fourth annual Garage Sale Trail event on Saturday, October 25.
Old Bar Men's Shed is one of the first to sign-up for the event and its members are keen to see Manning Valley residents rally to register a large number of garage sales at local homes or at community locations to ensure that people can enjoy the experience of a great trail featuring goods that are no longer needed at bargain prices.
Greater Taree City Council and Midwaste are keen for the Garage Sale Trail to be a huge community event in a bid to encourage people to think about sustainability and reducing the amount of waste that goes into landfill.
Council's waste officer Ben Jenkins is hoping people will follow the lead of Old Bar Men's Shed and choose to host a garage sale on October 25.
Midwaste project officer Wendy Grant says the event is about sustainability, community, commerce and fun!
"It's a national event and by organising communities in the Manning Valley to hold garage sales on the same day we aim to promote reuse, reduce waste to landfill, enable new neighbourly connections, provide a platform for fundraising, inspire creativity and stimulate local economies," Wendy explained.
"The Garage Sale Trail is a not-for-profit project that works hand-in-hand with government to inspire social and environmental change."
According to the Garage Sale Trail website, over the past three years the event has grown to include 100 councils Australia-wide, 7000 sales nationally, 360,000 participants and 35,000 sellers. Last year's event resulted in 1.5 million items listed for reuse - that's an average of eight shopping trolleys redistributed per sale.
Wendy hopes this year's event will be the biggest community and sustainability event the Manning Valley has ever seen.
"The Garage Sale Trail is for buyers, sellers, makers and creators. Absolutely everyone can get involved," she said.
"To add your garage sale to the trail go to the website and complete the registration process. It's simple to do."
The website is https://www.garagesaletrail.com.au