Free commerce

Before hitting the mall, find out whether someone in your city is getting rid of the thing you want, says Deron Beal, 40, founder of Freecycle.org, a Web site built on the premise that “one person’s trash is another’s treasure.”

Here’s how it works: As in the “free” section of Craigslist.org, users post what they’re giving or seeking, then coordinate the details. On thousands of Freecycle message boards, the dialogue looks like this: OFFERED: Two Pez dispensers. TAKEN: Krups espresso machine. WANTED: Garden hose that works. OFFERED: Adult diapers, size small.

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And sometimes you say it makes sense not to purchase anything at all.
The very first step is always to reuse what you have or reuse what somebody else has. There’s a long tradition in this country of having yard sales and swap meets, and now with the Internet, it’s actually becoming really easy to do that. There’s something called freecycle.org. Find it online; inevitably somebody else is going to want [what you have].

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Don’t recycle, Freecycle: There are 4,226 Freecycle.org online groups helping more than four million users give away “junk” to others who can use it.

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To find free craft supplies for homemade gifts, Jennifer started using freecycle.org, a Website where people from all around the country post items online that they no longer need — and are willing to give away for free.

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Tip Number Ten…

Make Donations
If you’re trying to find a new home for a piece of furniture, a bag of clothes, an old chandelier or anything that’s hard to recycle, give FreeCycle a try. This free website connects people with things to give away with people who need those things. It’s organized by ZIP codes, so it will put you into contact with groups in your community. No money can ever exchange hands and everything has to be totally free. You can learn more at www.freecycle.org.

Click Here to Read All Ten Tips by Eco-designer Danny Seo

Alix Cliburn from National Geographic’s Green Guide asks

What would you spend on a 25″ TV with SurroundSound? How does zero dollars sound?

That was the price we paid on Sunday when we picked it up via our local Freecycle group. An older couple was downsizing just a few blocks from our home, and no longer needed the rec-room TV. Twenty minutes after emailing to say we would take it, it was in the back of our car.

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Michelle Giroux asks us How many alternatives do you know to buying clothes at full price?

There are hundreds of thousands of regional Freecycle groups throughout the country and around the world. The unifying policy for all of these individual groups is that no currency exchanges hands for any listed item on any Freecycle site.

The potential is that thousands of viewers check out Freecycle and other message board requests, making it plausible that someone has
or is able to locate what is being requested. Therefore, it is most effective to be specific when requesting items (clothing
in this case). Clearly state any company required brands, colors and styles.

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Free household items

• The Freecycle Network. This nonprofit community group with an environmental mission lets users “recycle” unwanted items by posting ads on local online bulletin boards. If you see a chair or a computer that you’d like, respond to the ad. The site is a great way to acquire a perfectly good coffeemaker or piano while doing your part to reduce waste.

What’s the Catch? You’re responsible for getting the stuff home.

Find Out More: www.freecycle.org to find a group.

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I wish I’d known about the Freecycle Network when I was moving out of my last house. I had truckloads of stuff taken away by a junk removal company, some of it perfectly usable (exercise machines purchased in late night fits of insanity, tables, and other items that charities didn’t want because they were too big for me to drag out to the driveway). The Freecycle Network is a non-profit grass roots movement with over 4,000 local groups and over 4 million members all over the world. The idea behind it is to keep unwanted belongings out of landfills by offering them up to anyone who might want them. Each local group is moderated by volunteers.

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Get Stuff Free

Free Bike. Photo by Mike Everett-Lane
Photo by Mike Everett-Lane
Clothing Exchange: Get your friends together to swap clothes that you don’t wear any more. Add a potluck and special theme.

Free Cycle: Give away what you don’t need or want. Get what you do. Free and local: www.freecycle.org

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