This is Vanese Ferguson with Coffee Talk. I have embraced the concept of shopping at consignment stores mainly because of the extraordinary amount of waste of textiles. A 2023 study by the University of Waterloo indicates that Canadians dispose of nearly 500 million kilograms of fabric each year. This includes clothing, household linens, and other fabric-based products. Unfortunately, most of these textiles, about 85 per cent, end up in landfills. On average, each Canadian throws away approximately around thirty-seven kilograms or 81 pounds of textiles every year. The lean towards sustainability has become a business opportunity as well. Of course, there is Value Village and Salvation Army which re-sells donated items with charity receiving some of the benefit. But there are also small and medium sized businesses and according to recent data from the federal government, as of 2023, Canada was home to 1.22 million SMEs. So, the economic impact of these businesses can’t be underscored enough. I think it’s a win-win. Not to say I shop exclusively at consignment stores, but I do shop mindfully, not just based on cost, but based on whether it is retail therapy and an impulse buy and whether it will be an item that is a go-to in my wardrobe. I have culled bags of clothes in the last year. By no means have I managed to obtain the level of organization of say Marie Kondo who has that famous quote – “Does this spark joy?” But I’m working on it, and you can make these things simpler for yourself. I’ve have availed myself of the services provided by Diabetes Canada which will actually schedule a pickup and get the items you no longer require, plus it goes to a great cause. Next up my two biggest challenges. Paperwork and books.