The Care 2 Share give away campaign is a two-day campaign where residents leave unwanted (but perfectly usable) items at their curb with a “FREE” sign so other residents can take what they want. It’s treasure hunting, it’s free, it’s easy, and it keeps unwanted but useful items out of the landfill.
Reusing items instead of discarding them reduces landfill costs, and is a great way to both de-clutter and to find some great treasures of your own.
This event happens rain or shine.
How does it work?
1. Decide what you have that is good and usable that you would like to give away for FREE
2. Place re-usable household items at the curb in front of your home during the weekend – no earlier than 7AM on the Friday.
3. Only place items to the curb that are free and clearly marked with a “FREE” sign
4. Then sit back and watch your old stuff be adopted by your neighbours, or complete strangers scouring the town for discarded gems
5. Consider sharing your finds and connect with other treasure hunters on the Care 2 Share Facebook page and use the hashtag #Care2ShareAntigonish
6. If no one picks up your stuff, remember that unclaimed items must be removed from the curb by dusk on the Saturday.
7. Consider donating unclaimed items to charitable organizations, and place any bulky waste garbage for collection on your bulky waste collection day. One day only, the following week.
Follow Curbside Give Away etiquette for placing items at the curb
• place signs on items with the word “FREE”
• items should still be in good condition for re-use or able to be repaired
• keep items you do not want to give away close to your house, or inside to avoid confusion
• don’t discard items on another person’s lawn
Follow Curbside Give Away etiquette for treasure hunters
• respect private property – don’t walk or drive on people’s lawns or gardens
• take only the items at the curb marked “FREE”
• obey traffic laws at all times (e.g., don’t block traffic, park illegally, or block people’s driveways with your vehicle)
• watch out for children
What can be placed at the curb?
• books, CDs, and DVDs
• furniture and small appliances
• sports equipment and toys
• tools
• yard and gardening equipment
• kitchen gadgets, dishes, cutlery, pots and pans
• unwanted gifts
• construction material including drywall and hardware
• electronics
• clothing
• paint
• holiday decorations
What shouldn’t be placed at the curb?
• items that are not re-usable (place garbage for collection out on your regular garbage collection day/week). Bulky waste collection in the town of Antigonish is the following week
• items that could be infested with bed bugs (e.g., mattresses, furniture, bedding)
• visit the Consumer Product Safety Bureau to find out about items that aren’t safe to give away
Certain electronics items are not accepted for curbside collection and must be taken to a drop-off location
What can I do with left over items?
• use the Town of Antigonish Waste Wizard to determine what to do with a left over item
• donate to local charitable, non-profit organizations, or community groups, or to textiles/clothing recyclers like AFTeRwear.ca
• add the item to the Antigonish Freecycle Facebook page
• post your item for sale on Kijiji or another similar website
• post your item for trade or sale on local buy and sell Facebook Groups