I admit it. I’ve been sucked into the world of bunz. Not buns. BUNZ. The local app has taken over not just Toronto, but Canada, and I’m not ashamed to say I use it, and love it, and it’s changed the way I feel about consumption. Here’s the thing, we’re a throw away society. When something’s empty, it goes in the trash — paper plates, cups, knives, forks, toilet paper rolls, makeup wipes, diapers, wine bottles, aluminum foil, plastic wrap… I could go on and on. Yes, I use all these things, yes I mostly throw them away. But the thing about disposable society is that I have a conscience. Despite being an admitted lover of shopping shopaholic, I abhor waste. And yet these polarizing attributes exist within me. I’ll buy something new, and bring my own shopping bag because plastic bags make me sad. I’m not a hippy, I don’t want to be a hippy. I want to be happy, and with a little less waste and clutter in my life. This is where Bunz comes in.
Bunz began in Toronto as a Facebook page, and now an app. You create a profile, post items that you don’t really want or need and trade with other folks around you. Yes, trade. No money is involved, nada. That’s the premise of Bunz anyway, and that’s what most good Bunz traders do. We barter, we chat, we meet up, and we swap. Sometimes we swap more than just a bag of coffee beans or a coffee table ( yep, I scored my awesome coffee table from a fellow Bunzer). Sometimes we swap stories, anecdotes, jokes, ideas, and a sweet treat or two. ( On a 35 degree day I gave a Bunz a popsicle when we traded. It was HOT and she was super happy).
These days I’m trading far less than I did over the summer when I was admittedly pretty infatuated with Bunz. There were some amazing trades, and some not so good trades. I met some cute dogs along the way and got to go to a small cider festival. I even traded with a fellow by the name of Kohji who’s been documenting his attempt to LIVE off Bunz trades only for one month. ( He succeeded, news outlets followed his story, and Kohji even held a party last week to celebrate his endeavour). You might think this all sounds super ridiculous, odd, socialist, even. But I don’t care. There are thousands more like me and we do it because it makes us a little happier. And while I’ll never be one of those, able to KonMari my existence ( my socks are never treated with respect…they’re basically spheres of mayhem stuffed into one drawer), Bunz helps me curb my hoarding tendencies….while forever aiming to de-clutter my world.
♥
coffeeandheavylifting 