The apartment I share with him is furnished almost completely with furniture that has been downsized by his or my parents, and everything goes together quite nicely, being mostly wood. A Recycling Way of Life Recycling doesn't just mean putting soda cans in blue bags. The true spirit of recycling lies in reusing useful things, many of which, unlike glass, paper, and plastic, do not have to be ground down to their elements and built into new things, but can simply be passed along, among families, friends or strangers. There are entire publications dedicated to resale, of which the west-suburban based Tradin' Times is perhaps the best known. People are buying and selling preowned items on-line.
Television shows appraise old attic-kept items to discover they are worth small fortunes.
More often than not, there has also been someone getting rid of things I've needed, when I've needed them. If your own family doesn't have extra items, there are plenty of people who do. These people have brought those items to resale stores everywhere. Today there is at least one thrift, consignment, vintage, or resale store in nearly every neighborhood in Chicago. Buying preowned items is no longer just for people short on funds.