We’re thrilled to be joining forces with the City of Toronto and Goodwill to get Torontonians swapping and saving thousands of items from our landfills.

Want to build your movie library the green way? Need to update your music collection without spending a dime? Grab your pre-loved DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs and vinyl records, leave your wallet at home and join Swapsity at the Live Green Toronto Festival on July 16 happening at Yonge and Dundas Square! 

Every summer, the City of Toronto rolls out the green carpet on Yonge Street in celebration of all things eco-friendly. This year, 40,000 Torontonians are expected to attend the festival. We are delighted to be taking part by hosting a giant Movie Music Eco-Swap at Yonge and Dundas Square aimed at keeping 10,000 media items out of the landfills. 

We’ve set a lofty recycling goal and are counting on thousands of Torontonians to help us reach it. Can we make it happen? We certainly hope so! Get involved by coming to the event with a stack of items, inviting your Facebook friends to the swap and using #EcoSwapTO hashtag to get the word out on Twitter. Bring the movies and music you’ve grown tired of to our Swap Zone between 11 am and 8 pm. Tapping into the power of community and collaboration, we’ll build a huge media library that will offer something for everyone.

For each gently-used, original item you drop off, you’ll receive a swap token. Then, trade those tokens for something that’s new to you! At the Swap Zone, all media is of equal value so you’ll be able to take home as many items as you brought. For instance, drop off the Lord of the Rings trilogy on DVD and take home a Lady Gaga CD, Rolling Stones vinyl record and Inconvenient Truth on Blu-ray. Whether it was a gift we didn’t really dig, an impulse purchase we regretted or just something we’ve watched or listened to and grown tired of, we’ve all got unwanted media discs at home, in the car or at the office. What might not interest you, though, could be the perfect item for another film buff or music lover. That’s where swapping comes in!

Swappers wanting to recycle but unable to attend the event can drop off their pre-loved media items at Green Instead, open Tuesday to Saturday, located at 200 Spadina Ave., 2nd Floor before July 15.

Every year, millions of media discs are entering our landfills. What’s the impact of digital goods on the environment? DVDs and CDs are made primarily of polycarbonate plastics. Discs don’t readily break down in a landfill and, over time, they release Bisphenol A, which is associated with adverse health effects. Moreover, CDs and DVDs release toxic fumes when incinerated.

Still wondering what this fantastic event has to offer? Here are five reasons why you shouldn’t miss it:

Reason #1:  Recycle and reuse
   Be a friend to the environment and recycle your way to a new media library.

Reason #2:  Refresh your library for free
Update your collection without spending your hard-earned money—no cash or credit card required!

Reason #3: De-clutter

De-clutter your space and free yourself of items you never use.

Reason #4: Share!
    Enjoy seeing someone else take delight in what you no longer need, and otherwise might have tossed to the curb!

Reason #5:  Community spirit
Be part of a phenomenal community eco-swap challenge. Join your fellow Torontonians in saving 10,000 items from the landfills.

In the recent ranking on the sustainability of Canadian cities, Toronto clinched the top spot in the large city category for the second year in a row. It takes community effort to keep our city green and reduce the amount of plastic in our landfills. If you haven’t read our blog post on the world&rsqu o;s largest ocean landfill, be sure to check it out.

We’re inviting all Swapsity Toronto members, plus your friends and family, to participate in this ultimate swap meet! Swapping helps us make good decisions for the earth and our wallet, but it’s events like these that show us how it can connect a community of like-minded people. Take a look at our past swap meets on our blog and photo gallery and sign up for swap meets alerts if you haven’t already.

Remember, every disc counts! So gather up your DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs and vinyl records, bring your friends and enjoy the city’s celebration of all things green. Can’t wait to see you there!