Cashless in the Catlins

A south Otago op-shop is asking its customers to ‘come without cash’.

The Nearly-New, Barely-Old swap shop in tiny Owaka works by assessing the value of second-hand goods dropped in by locals, then issuing a voucher to match, which can be traded for anything in the store.

The idea came from a class at The Catlins Area School. “It started from a ‘being green’ study we were doing – looking at the amount of waste the world generates,” says 14-year-old student Keegan McKay.

“We were researching what was going on in the United States, where people were taking second-hand goods and doing them up to re-sell. We thought, ‘Hey, maybe we could try this in Owaka.’”

Apart from providing economy clothing and household goods, the shop has also become a social hub.

Last year the venture celebrated its second birthday, having ‘sold’ – and kept out of landfill – over $45,000 worth of goods.