The center has gained four - almost five - exchange cabinets. Recently, the fourth one was placed at Glashaven. The cabinets are an initiative of the neighborhood council. Look in my bookshelf and you will know who I am.
The principle of an exchange cabinet is simple: people place items they want to get rid of, and others take things from it. The neighborhood council of the center prioritizes promoting this circular economy - that is, passing on items - highly.
Artist Eddy Kaijser was commissioned by the neighborhood council to create 5 exchange cabinets. Of course, he used recycled materials for this. The plexiglass, for example, comes from the municipality, which was used as a splash screen during the corona period.
Success
The exchange cabinets have almost all found a place. Number 4 was recently placed at Glashaven 124. According to resident Monique Fermin, this was an immediate success.
She says: People have already put all sorts of things in there. At one point, there was even a skateboard leaning against it. Of course, that is long gone. The turnover rate is really high.
Monique, as a resident, has adopted the exchange cabinet at Glashaven, meaning she regularly checks if the offered items are intact and clean. And that no perishable food items are inside. A sealed pack of rice is fine. But you dont want a pack of milk in there. That just wont work.
Second life
The neighborhood council hopes that the exchange cabinets will ensure that items get a second life sooner and thus end up in the trash less quickly. Additionally, it is a beautiful way to connect a neighborhood, says neighborhood council member Sandra de Vries.
I see it as gifts to each other. Look, she points to the copy of the novel Anna Karenina by Tolstoy that is now on one of the shelves. Maybe you wouldnt buy that book quickly, but you might take it here because you want to try it.
Artist Eddy adds: The items that are there also say something about who lives next to you. Just like a bookshelf in a house always says a lot about who lives there. Look in my bookshelf and you will know who I am.
Want to know more about the neighborhood council in the center and their initiatives? Check out 010home.nl. Link opens an external page.
Rotterdam Neighborhood News
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