So That Nothing May Be Lost

Have you ever wondered why this site is called 612 Trade?

It comes from John 6:12. After Jesus fed the five thousand, he told his disciples:

“Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.”

That simple idea—so that nothing may be lost—is at the heart of 612 Trade.

It makes me think about how easily we discard things today. Before something goes into the trash, what if we stopped and asked:

Could this have another purpose?

An old birdbath can become a planter. Plant clippings can become new plants. Yard waste can become compost. Something we already own might solve a problem without our buying something new.

Caring for Creation

Pope Francis took this idea even further.

In Laudato Si’, he wrote about our responsibility to care for the Earth and connected everyday choices—reducing waste, conserving water, planting trees and reusing things—to caring for our common home.

He even described reusing something instead of immediately discarding it as an “act of love.”

Pope Francis later spoke of environmental destruction as a sin against creation.

That gives me something to think about: perhaps caring for the environment isn't only about recycling or conservation. It's about stewardship—taking care of what we've been given.

Before You Throw It Away…

And this is where I'd like to try something new with 612 Trade.

Do you have something you're about to discard? Send me a photo before you throw it away.

Maybe together we can figure out what else it could become.

I can help you come up with a repurposing idea and design. And if you're local and don't have the tools or time to make it yourself, I may even be able to pick up the item and transform it for you.

Not everything can be saved.

But I suspect a lot more can be saved than we think.

That's what 612 Trade is about:

Use what we have.
See possibilities instead of waste.
Care for what we've been given.
“So that nothing may be lost.” — John 6:12