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Treasure hunt in the streets of Athens story by Dimitra Triantafillou , KATHIMERINI , 16TH May 2023
( TRANSLATED BY ANASTASIA STAMELOU , Γ5 )
The goal of the aforementioned groups is to find new owners for objects found on the street , which are believed to be useful or interesting .
All posts include the place , time and day , so that anyone interested can compare how close they are to the place and how quickly they can get there to claim the object . The recycling and reuse of thrownout objects , which have value for others , has – according to those groups ’ identity- a strong environmental character , a sense of solidarity among the city ’ s residents , but also an activist feeling that spreads throughout the city .
maroon velvet Ludovico armchair , a good-asnew acoustic guitar , a retro wooden buffet , a
A vintage artwork , a fully functional children ’ s bike , but also a Benjamin flower pot with slightly yellowed leaves .
An invisible string connects the objects thrown in the garbage or abandoned in the streets and one day they appear in an improved place inside the houses of their new owners .
Its start finds itself in the crowded Facebook groups , created for that specific aim , such as Treasurehunters Athens with 6.300 members , Reuse it or lose it with 10.300 members and “ Εγκαταλελειμμένα φυτά ψάχνουν οικογένεια ” with 7.400 members .
From a student home to a holiday house in Mati
“ It was just yesterday that I picked up a chair from the street ”, says Martin , a 22-year-old university student that lives in the center of Athens . Active member of the Treasurehunters Athens group himself , he recalls finding a chair but also a sofa in excellent condition , while out on a stroll on a street nearby . He took out his phone , took a photo and posted the objects on the group , placing a pin on
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