Freecycling is when a person passes along, for free, an unwanted item to another person who needs that item. From silverware to mobile homes, people worldwide are choosing to freecycle rather than discard. The practice frees up space in landfills and cuts down on the need to manufacture new goods. Thousands of groups dedicated to connecting people who want to give away something to people with a need are forming worldwide. Here are three steps you can take to join the freecycling movement.
Step 1: Find a freecycling group near you at Recycling Group Finder. If you can’t find a group near you, consider starting one, either on your own or through organizations like the ReUseIt Network, FreeMesa.org, the Freeuse Network, FreeSharing.org, Sharing Is Giving or the Freecycle Network. Freecycling works best when the group members live geographically close because it’s more convenient and uses less energy when stuff is exchanged.
Step 2: Each freecycle group will have its own rules, so learn and abide by those rules. But commonly there are four kinds of posts: Wanted is you searching for an item; Found is telling others that you got what you were searching for; Offer is letting the group know what item you have to give away; and Taken is informing the group that you found a person who needed the item offered.
Step 3: Before buying something, check to see if any one in your group is looking to get rid of the item you need. Before throwing an item in the trash, post an offer for the item to see if any one needs that item.
Now you’re freecycling! It’s a simple, economical, emotionally rewarding and morally sound practice that can literally help save the Earth.
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