Online service for unwanted goods launched

A new online service was launched in the capital today to aid people in passing on household items for free rather than sending them to landfill sites.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Vincent Jackson said the new website would help householders obtain and give away good-quality items including furniture, stereos, baby products, garden items, books and clothes.

“Now that we have established a strong network of recycling facilities in Dublin and the public are actively recycling, we are moving our focus to encouraging people to reuse as well,” Councillor Jackson said.

The website, www.dublinwaste.ie, run by the four Dublin local authorities, contains more than 20 categories of household items.

Officials said they were confident that the new service, in encouraging people to reuse items rather than throw them away, would reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

“People moving house or re-decorating often want to change their suite of furniture or TV but can’t trade in the old one, and that’s where www.dublinwaste.ie comes in.

"The website allows them to advertise items for free and advises on how to make contact with prospective new owners,” Hugh Coughlan, senior executive officer with Dublin City Council, said.

People seeking items can browse the site as often as they wish, and if interested in an item they can phone or email the advertiser to arrange collection or delivery.

“We envisage (the service) being very popular among first-time buyers, students and landlords, but we would encourage everybody in Dublin who is looking for household goods to check out the website before rushing out to spend money on new goods because everything on the site is usually in good condition and is absolutely free,” Mr Coughlan said.

“Already, there are some items advertised and we envisage the baby and electrical sections to get very busy as the service becomes widely known-about.”

The website also advises users to be sensible and take precautions when making arrangements to meet strangers to collect or hand over goods.