A staggering £6.6bn has been spent by Brits over the pandemic on items they no longer use, according to a recent study by home insurance group Aviva.

Items bought span a wide range of categories; from the expected video games and home fitness equipment, to the understandable fashion and home décor items, to the downright gangsta hot tubs and pizza ovens.

What is consistent across all categories is a sense of “buyer’s remorse". Lockdown and the pandemic may have released money otherwise spent on holidays, socialising or commuting, but is it Covid that has created the “regretful buy”?

Even pre-pandemic, Brits were having packages delivered to their door or local collection point. Wardrobes, sheds and attics all over the country are stuffed with items that are no longer used. Many of which never made it out of the wrapper. I mean, how many of us have books on our shelves that we have never read?

The solution isn’t to stop buying - these items save us time, improve health and wellbeing and bring us joy. What is needed is a new approach and mindset towards ownership.

If you are no longer using or benefit from an item, then why not release it into the community! You don’t have to sell your items (who knows, you might get back into that hobby or extreme sport) why not rent it out, for someone else to try out night golf?

Regardless of whether you sell or rent, you will be taking a responsible and community focused approach to resources. Renting out your dusty DIY tools can result in one less power drill that needs to be made, to be packaged and to be delivered. Carbon footprints will be reduced and you will recover some of your initial outlay. Now you can buy something you need with the extra cash (and free up some space in your garage). Maybe this time why not try getting a preowned ice-cream maker? According to our sources, it’s very likely it will have only been used once!

Find a new home for your lockdown follies…

Paperclip is a buy, sell and swap marketplace with 100,000 active users. Our trading platform allows you to earn money by quickly and easily selling your preloved items. We will shortly be releasing a brand new rental feature which will allow you to lend items at a fraction of the cost of buying them new!

Head to paperclip.co to create a free account and get trading today.

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