We often have things we do not require and look for someone to give it away. Some of us donate clothes to  domestic help or charity groups.

But when it comes to things like books, an exercycle, a tabla or tailoring machine,  one cannot throw it on to a garbage truck or sell it to the raddiwala.

Gayathri works part time as an auto driver to take care of her family and at the same time continue her education. She was able to get books for her course through the Bangalore Reuse group. Pic: Poornima Dasharathi

This is where a networking group like Bangalore Reuse can help. This is an e-group where people can offer things they no longer need. They can even posts requests for things they require or somebody whom they know is in need of. The only requirement is that all transfers must be free.

Initiated by the Rotary club of Yelahanka, based on a suggestion by Paul Mundackal, an environment consultant and a Rotarian, the two year old group has grown to have about 182 members now. The idea behind it is the very simple credo “Reduce, reuse, recycle”. Mundackal believes major environmental problems include uncontrolled garbage generation.

Bharath Curam, a long time member of the group, recounts the story of a woman, Sridevi working as a domestic help who received an old sewing machine. She was so happy at getting the item and has started to supplement her income with tailoring.

Adds Curam, “I have had the privilege of getting some lovely books like encyclopedias, educational cassettes, UPS which have been donated to various schools”.

In another instance, a dish TV set top box, cable and receiver dish donated by P M Radhakrishna, also from Yelahanka, was routed to Omashram, an old age home on Bannerghata road.

It is not just charitable institutions and the needy which are the beneficiaries. Individuals also give away things like an exercycle or request old amar chitra katha comics to add to their collections.

This is a small but definitive step in reducing clutter in one’s home, reduce the contribution to garbage dumps, and help somebody at the same time.  ⊕