BY GRETCHEN BASEN

Got a few unwanted Christmas or birthday presents that need new homes? Want to declutter in order to create time and energy for keeping New Year’s resolutions?

You can aid and abet your spring cleaning or, even, acquire quality things at a great price at the upcoming Community Trunk & Thrift Sale.

The Community Trunk & Thrift Store will be part of April’s Earth Fest event where Wood River Valley residents can help the environment, the local economy, and their pocketbooks.

The trunk sale--essentially a gathering of car-sized yard sales in one location – is an opportunity for people to further enjoy our valley’s Circularity economy. Idaho already enjoys a strong culture of thrifting and donating with the ability to buy second hand items from light bulbs to great skiwear to bedframes and air fryers.

This culture will be celebrated at all of this year’s Earth Fest events, including a Fix-It Clinic where you can give your prized possessions a longer life and a booth providing tips and activities about Circularity provided by local organizations. There also will be food trucks, music, games, and raffles.

“The goal of Circularity and this event is to keep our goods in circulation and out of the landfills as long as possible,” said Elizabeth Jeffrey, co-founder of the Climate Action Coalition and Earth Fest organizer. “The benefits of a circular economy are huge: people save money, we help the environment through waste reduction, and we decrease the need for resource extraction and the global transportation required for new-product manufacturing and distribution.”

Earth Fest’s Trunk & Thrift Sale will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26, on Croy Street south of the Hailey Public Library and the Hailey Town Center West. People wanting to sell items will be able to “rent” a parking spot by visiting one of three participating thrift stores: The Barkin’, The Advocates Attic or the Gold Mine.

People wanting a good deal and unique treasures will have curated garage-sale shopping in one location – no need to drive all over the valley.

A circular economy is a model of production and consumption that aims to extend the life cycle of products and materials. The principles of a circular economy include reusing, sharing, leasing, repairing, repurposing, recycling, and composting.  

Today’s economy is dominated by linear processes. Raw materials are mined, and products are manufactured, sold, consumed, and thrown away. This approach is resource intensive and produces enormous amounts of greenhouse gasses and waste.

The Climate Action Coalition is hoping that in this age of consumerism, Wood River Valley residents will take advantage of opportunities to save money and resources. Contributing to a circular economy is a systemic approach to tackling climate change, loss of biodiversity, waste, and pollution.

Want to know more? Visit the Climate Action Coalition’s website https://www.cacwrv.org/. Or, email CACWRV@gmail.com.