#freemarket — Public Fediverse posts

#Toronto - #REmarket

Wed Feb 11 and Thurs Feb 12, 2026
St. Lawrence Market Tent, the Esplanade and Market Street.

"The #SLNA #WasteReduction Group is holding its 15th REmarket, a two day event for #donations, #recycling services, & limited household #HazardousWaste drop offs.

A totally free market (#FreeMarket) will also be held on February 11 only. Guests can donate and/or take items for free (not for commercial resale). Bring your own bag.

On February 12, #RepairCaféToronto will be fixing clothing, jewellery, computers, home electronics, small appliances, housewares, and toys, while #CultureLInk #BikeHub will be doing small bike repairs and safety check.

NEW THIS TIME- they are collecting metal keys, and wooden chopsticks."

Source:
https://www.woodsworthcoop.ca/index.php/remarket-wed-feb-11-and-thurs-feb-12-2026/

Full event details and guidelines can be found at
https://www.slna.ca/remarket-guidelines.html

#SolarPunkSunday #TorontoCanada #ReduceReuseRepair #RepairCafe #Swap #CircularEconomy #ZeroWaste #Recycling #Reuse #BuildingCommunity #HouseholdHazardousWaste #WasteDisposal

I've been listening to the #freakonomics episode on #adamSmith. It reminds me that the power and benefits of #capitalism aren't because it ensures "free markets". The benefits come from intense competition, which makes the vendors better and the products cheaper. Pretty much the entire success of the modern world is built on this #competition (+ #scientificMethod).

Unfortunately, the natural course of a free market, driven by well-known and well-taught business strategies, is to avoid competition, by using customer lock-in and other anti-competitive moves until you get to effective #monopoly power. Once you have monopoly power, you can go into harvest mode, raising prices and spending less, mostly on protecting the "moats" around your monopoly.

What we really need is not #freeMarket, it's #freeCompetition.

So when you hear a public policy debate or a business tycoon going on about "free markets" you should ask yourself -- would this make competition easier or harder? Would it give consumers and customers more choice or less choice?

This is one of the main reasons I have devoted most of my career to running or helping #startUps. A new underdog entrant is the essence of competition and expanding choices. Unfortunately, any startup that is successful enough to become dominant in its industry, becomes anti-competitive and can become a drag on society's progress.

Whew, I didn't expect that to be so long! I better stop now. Please let me know what you think.