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Many homes contain a drawer, cupboard or shelf where objects (1) .......... long after their owners have stopped using them. The items may have been bought for an (2) .......... need, received as gifts or kept because throwing them away feels wasteful.
People are often (3) .......... to imagine that a future version of themselves will need the object, even when there is little evidence that this will happen. (4) .......... the cost was small, the decision to let go can feel surprisingly difficult.
Some people (5) .......... on to possessions because they connect them with a particular period of life, while others simply dislike the idea of replacing something later. Shops can help by offering clearer repair services and by making it easier to borrow rarely used tools.
These changes may (6) .......... down on the amount of unused (7) .......... that blocks cupboards and drawers, but they also (8) .......... people to think about why they buy in the first place.