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The second City-sponsored trunk sale of the year will be hosted Saturday at Vancouver Island University, with the garage sale-style event helping divert material out of the landfill. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)
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‘One trunk at a time:’ second Nanaimo trunk sale keeping items out of landfill

Aug 22, 2026 | 5:29 AM

NANAIMO — Turning potential trash into someone else’s treasures is the goal of a weekend trunk sale.

The City of Nanaimo is hosting the event at the lower parking lot of Vancouver Island University, along Fifth St., on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a sprawling garage sale-type layout expected.

A primary goal of the trunk sale is to divert unwanted items away from the landfill and offer them a new lease on life.

No retail business booths are set up, and the only new items permitted for sale are ones made from recycled materials.

“The Nanaimo Recycles Car Trunk Sales are a fun and practical way for residents to reduce waste and give gently used items a second life,” Taaj Daliran, manager of sanitation and recycling, said. “By supporting reuse and keeping items out of the landfill, we’re helping build a more sustainable and connected community—one trunk at a time.”

Saturday’s event is the second one of the year, with the first happening in June at Nanaimo North Town Centre.

It was sold out, with hundreds of stalls set up.

The trunk sales have become an annual tradition in Nanaimo, hosted in a variety of locations each year to encourage the reusing and recycling of materials otherwise destined for the trash can.

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