Trashswag

We all know that phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” and now there’s an easy way to turn that into reality, thanks to Toronto’s new online crowdmap Trashswag. Started by Gavin Cameron and his friends who are “into salvage” and restoring old furniture, they turned a hobby for their small group of friends into something the whole city can be involved in. It’s a site to encourage people to reuse things and take discarded materials and turn them into something new. People can upload and geotag discarded treasures they find—mainly furniture, wood and artwork; there’s a strict policy against mattresses, couches, fabrics—which then gets salvaged by the lucky person who grabs it and turned into a unique piece. And this summer they’re looking to expand, with the West Coast being their first stop. Check it out for yourself at trashswag.com