GiveBox: One person’s trash might be another person’s treasure!

[中文於下方]

You finally cleaned up your room and found so many things you don’t really need anymore. That cup your aunt brought you from her last trip to France, the USB-Stick you got as a gift at the IT-Expo or the pair of shoes you got for your birthday, but you actually never really liked. What to do with all those things? Sell them? Nah, too much of a hustle for too little money. Donate them? Which charity needs a cup, an USB-stick and an old pair of shoes?! Just throw them away? 

How about give it at try at the next GiveBox?!

GiveBoxes are a simple idea to share things that are still working, but you wanna get rid of. They promote a sense of community and help to make people aware that action can be taken at any level and on a daily basis to reduce waste. They are a great way to encourage people to exchange and reuse things, instead of throwing them away. Ideally very little surveillance is needed and people can come and go as they please. A GiveBox can be organised by anyone, may it be individual citizens, a small group if friends, businesses or schools. Eventually they provide a very simple and accessible way to give/take second-hand products for free.

The GiveBox am Haus zum Guten Hirten I used to visit in Münster/Germany

GiveBox Sao Paolo


Building a GiveBox is actually pretty easy. What you will need is (1) an open access location to set up the box (if possible sheltered from the rain) and (2) a shelf, big box or material to build a container to put the items (with a roof or/and water proof curtain, in order to protect it from the rain if it is located outdoors)

Together with my friends we set up this simple GiveBox, made out of wooden boxes, at the gREen salon in Taipei.

It basically only needs three steps:
(1) Find the location and get the authorisation to put the box there
(2) Find or build the box (add small poster explaining its purpose and functioning)
(3) Spread the word and share it with your friends (advertise via social networks and press)

Here you can find more information on How to set up a GiveBox and How to start a GiveBox. This videos show a  day in the life of an Exchange Box in Geneva and the installation of a GiveBox in Montreal.

I hold an event about GiveBox in Taipei last week, photos can be found on the COLLECTIVE GREEN facebook page and a video in Chinese language can be found here.
If you plan to set up a GiveBox and need any further help and advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.

GiveBox: 一個人的垃圾是另外一個人的寶藏

什麼是GiveBox?

開放式儲櫃,放置在公共空間,讓人們可以自由交流二手物件(衣物、書和工具等等)
無須監控,人們可以隨時使用
任何人都可以自行設置! (個人、公司和學校等等)
讓人們意識其實在日常生活中就能採取永續行動, 透過贈送舊物品供其他人重複使用來減少浪費
提供一種非常簡單的方式免費提供或得到二手物品

你需要什麼呢?

公共場所可以放箱子的地方
有遮蔽的庭院、等候室和自助洗衣店等等
大的箱子或櫃子(如設置在室外需要有防雨的裝置)

三個steps: 
(1) 找到地方, 獲得設置許可
(2) 去找尋或自己製作櫃子 (外加一張海報說明其目的和功能)
(3) 跟大家分享

更多資訊歡迎與我聯繫 ! 看影片!

By Stefan Simon for Collective Green