Many people throw away usable items – 65 percent of Finns surveyed say they own too much stuff

One in three Finns throws usable clothes in the trash.

Other valuable items also end up in the trash, as 47 percent of those surveyed don't even pay attention to whether something useful is thrown in the trash.

One in ten men admits to throwing away electronics that are still usable.

A clear majority feel they own too much stuff

ONLINE STORE Market place commissioned a peer-to-peer shopping survey in the summer, to which a thousand Finns responded.

As many as 65 percent, or two-thirds, of those who responded to the survey believe that they own too much stuff.

The obsession with belongings affects women more than men, because 72 percent of female respondents felt they owned too many things, compared to "only" 58 percent of men.

University of Lapland doctoral dissertation research has estimated that the average Finnish family owns 10–000 items.

Unnecessary items are stored in the warehouse and at the cottage.

One in five Finns just stuffs their extra stuff into a closet. One in three also takes it a step further, into storage. One in ten men carts their junk to the classic storage place, the cottage.

"Goods stored in cupboards, warehouses and cottages are practically unused assets. On a Finnish scale, this dormant asset is a large amount of euros lost in purchasing power. And the longer goods are stored, the more likely time is to pass them by and selling them becomes more difficult," says Tori's director. Jenni Tuomisto toteaa.

On the other hand, sales of consumer goods have increased in recent years. In a recent survey, 70 percent said they were selling their goods.

Tori says that 24 million euros worth of goods were sold last year through the used goods online store ToriDiili.

Text: Uusiouutiset-magazine

Image: Adobe Stock. Closets and warehouses are overflowing with Finns' excess stuff.