There are likely many other options, but one method of acquisition that is blossoming in the Verde Valley is the Freecycle Network which is described thus: “open to all who want to “recycle” something rather than throw it away. Whether it’s a chair, a fax machine, piano or an old door, feel free to post it. Or maybe you’re looking to acquire something yourself! Nonprofit groups are also welcome to participate too!

One constraint: everything posted must be free. This network is brought to you by The Freecycle Network, a nonprofit organization and a movement of people interested in keeping good stuff out of landfills.”

The network flourishes with both offerings and desires. There are now Freecycle networks based in Sedona, Camp Verde, Cottonwood and the Verde Valley.

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There are likely many other options, but one method of acquisition that is blossoming in the Verde Valley is the Freecycle Network which is described thus: “open to all who want to “recycle” something rather than throw it away. Whether it’s a chair, a fax machine, piano or an old door, feel free to post it. Or maybe you’re looking to acquire something yourself! Nonprofit groups are also welcome to participate too!

One constraint: everything posted must be free. This network is brought to you by The Freecycle Network, a nonprofit organization and a movement of people interested in keeping good stuff out of landfills.”

The network flourishes with both offerings and desires. There are now Freecycle networks based in Sedona, Camp Verde, Cottonwood and the Verde Valley.

Click here to read in full

SELL ONLINE : Ebay is not just for buying. Selling online is remarkably easy and can be a profitable way to recycle stuff you no longer have any use for. That rowing machine you bought that has been sitting under the bed for years might get you €50, while the leopard-print brothel-creepers you bought in a moment of madness in the early 1990s might still be worth a few bob. If you don’t want to sell something, but have no use for it, you could just give it away. There are a growing number of online communities where you can give away things you don’t need and find stuff for free that you might want. This is both environmentally sound and cost-effective (it reduces refuse charges, for starters). Dubliners have Free Trade (www.dublinwaste.ie), the local authorities’ online initiative, which helps people pass on unwanted household items. If you’re not in the Dublin area (or even if you are), try freecycle.org or jumbletown.ie for similar services.

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Don’t forget you can always give items away. Charities are always keen to receive items, and websites such as ‘freecycle’ provide the opportunity to recycle your goods by donating them to other people in your area.

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You respond

Re How Do We Get Rid Of Old Pipes, Tiles and Sanitaryware? (November 22), we decided to dispose of our old bathroom via the local Freecycle group (freecycle.org). In less than 24 hours about 10 people had shown an interest. We contacted the first person to respond, who came with a lorry to collect the fittings the following day and seemed delighted.
Rosemary Anderson
West Witton, North Yorkshire

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Didn’t get what you wanted from Santa (or those relatives that don’t share your interests)? Fear not, Ethos Vegan Kitchen has a little custom that may just help you out. Every month, the fine folks at Ethos host a little thing they like to call “Freecycling.” Using the idea that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” this event is like a latter day version of the good ‘ol swap meet. You bring whatever it is that you have and don’t want and end up leaving with a new-to-you item. Since it’s the holiday season, the theme this month is “Regifting Freecycle.” You can bring that Chia Pet or other hideous present you received and swap it out for that little something special calling your name. Browse with caution because the rules at this party are “you touch it, you claim it.”

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5. Go green
Already recycle? Take the next step? Anita O’Gara, director of development for the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, said Iowans can do that by buying products with less packaging, such as bulk foods.

In the larger sense, it means just buying less, period, O’Gara said. “The idea of just having less stuff in your life really does simplify your life and free up your time,” she said. Also, teach your children the difference between wants and needs.

• Use reusable shopping bags to reduce the 500 billion plastic bags that end up in landfills and waterways each year, suggests Lynn Laws, communications director for the Iowa Environmental Council.

• Barter or swap. Get the things you need used, either at thrift shops like Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul or online at sites like freecycle.org and reuseitnetwork.org

• Take public transportation. It’s less isolating, Laws said, and if you have to walk to your bus stop, you’re getting in some exercise.

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6. Sign up for Summit freecycle: Some folks prefer the virtual option. Take a few minutes this week and sign up for the free online list-serve for Summit County folks. Summit Freecycle is a place where you can post items that you want to get rid of or send a note that you are looking for something specific. It’s a great way to trade items and keep them in use. The only catch is that it all has to be free! Just google “Summit Freecycle” and you’ll be directed to join this Yahoo Group.

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My boyfriend laughs at my green guilt. I save ribbons from birthday and holiday gifts, but I have no use for them myself, but I keep thinking they’ll be good for something other than breeding in drawers. Damaged-but-repairable items – such as a leaky garden hose or a floor lamp with a broken base – collect dust. No one on Freecycle or Craigslist wants this stuff, and Goodwill would just throw it out. Trying to be a good steward lands me in nearly constant conflict and has me living in clutter.

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Dondero said he heard learned of one person in need through his ham radio, while he heard about a Gonic family through the Freecycle Network, an online group focusing on giving away unneeded items instead of throwing them away.

A man and woman from Gonic put in a listing on freecycle.org saying they had “been shoveling and shoveling and couldn’t shovel anymore,” according to Dondero’s girlfriend of over five years, Sharon Porter.

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