The Islington Recycling Centre is like the land of Oz; when you get there you see behind the curtain. All human life is here.
The weekend gardener offloads their hedge cuttings and weeds. The DIY enthusiast gets rid of half complete shelving that never really did sit straight on the wall of the spare room. Defunct games consoles, midi-centres and decrepit vacuum cleaners are tossed into the vast bins with gusto.
Mugs, lots of mugs, possibly the most ubiquitous of items in any household. Mugs procreate like Tribbles it seems, in kitchens across the country two mugs become four mugs, four mugs become eight ad infinitum. The belief that you can never have too many mugs is false; you can and frequently do have too many mugs most of which never see the sight of tea or coffee. Off to the dump they go.
Furniture of every description ends up here too, confused fabrics and patterns clash alongside pine, MDF and plastic of every hue. Carpets and rugs that look as if they could actually climb the steps and climb in unaided are removed from boots of cars straining with the weight of years of accumulated rubbish.
Storage is a huge contributor to the volume of items that find their way here. The myth of storage. We don’t need storage, or rather we don’t need storage that is not used effectively. The stuff that ends up in attics can sit there inert for decades before its usefulness is pondered and prevaricated over.
“It might be useful” no it won’t!
“xxxxx might want it” no they won’t!
“We could put it in the spare room” why?
Face it, most of the things stored are stored because people can’t bear to part with things. Forget sentimental value, I am talking about products purchased, used once (if at all) and bunged out of sight and therefore out of mind.
it is cathartic ging to the dump, it's cleansing and leaves one feeling lighter on departure.
Unfortunately the only down side is having to navigate the vagaries of the jobsworth staff in attendance. As far as tedious work is concerned, working at the dump must be right up there but that does not excuse the busy body approach that is employed. Pedantry and lack of charm must be on the CV and a penchant for shouting at members of the public is a required criteria. As for the area reserved for household items that can be recycled, woe betide any member of the public that dallies there is swiftly shooed off. Making a selection from here is clearly one of the perks of the job and the staff are as protective of it as a mother hen.
But, staff aside, a trip to the dump is an experience I would recommend to anyone looking to create space, make the decision to clear the decks or simply to enjoy the feeling of feeling de cluttered; it's tangible you know.
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having said that;