Well in advance of the pickup, you could, of course, hold a garage sale or an eBay auction. Or you could earn yourself some good karma by setting up a driveway display with a “FREE” sign to offer choice pieces. You might post a notice offering your free goods at freecycle.org or Craigslist. Or you could check with one of several charitable organizations (try lfapickup.org or 888-44-LUPUS) that won’t charge when they come to collect clothing and other acceptable donations.

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– Get plants for free. Check Craig’s list (www.craigslist.com), Freecycle (www.freecycle.org), and your local gardening club for trades and giveaways. Gardening enthusiasts are always dividing plants and not knowing what to do with extras. You can often get good sized bushes for free from landscapers, too: They are always digging out something their customers don’t want so they can plant what they do. You can take the old plants off their hands.

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You can bid for items through online auctions, find items free on Web sites such as Freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org/) or swap for what you want at Web sites such as Swap Thing (www.swapthing.com).

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Many charities in SA seek used cameras and computers. Or try The Freecycle Network (see www.freecycle.org) — a host of swapping sites where you can post a note about what you want to give away, and interested people can get in touch with you. Of course, be security savvy.

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Those who aren’t near a recycling facility might consider giving their old mattress away. But many health departments prohibit donating mattresses to charities like the Salvation Army or Goodwill. So what’s an upgraded sleeper with a perfectly good old mattress to do? The web-based Freecycle Network allows people to post stuff to give away to anyone willing to come pick it up; likewise, chances are your local version of Craigslist also has a “free” section where you can post that it as available.

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It may be 25 years before the local landfill reaches capacity, but if users of a local website have their way, several more years will be tacked onto the dump’s life.

Margaret Moore moderates Freecycle. “Yep, everything’s free no strings attached.” It’s an online network where people post items they offer to giveaway for free.

Moore says if you have a lot of things at home and don’t feel like having a garage sale, you can post it on freecycle, there’s always somebody in this city or outside this city who would be glad to come and get it from you.”

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Then I discovered Freecycle, a website where people give away stuff — for free. You can also ask for stuff — for free. It is truly amazing. First I offered Jack’s crib, which I bought brand new and only used for a few months. I encountered my first problem. There were plenty of responses, too many in fact. One woman was five months pregnant, another three days overdue, one was sourcing for her brother and another had divested herself of all nursery furniture years previously, wrongly thinking her breeding days were over.

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Join www.freecycle.org. This site was set up solely for the reuse cause. You can offer your item to someone and in turn, if you need something request it and see if someone has that item they might consider getting rid of. It worked for me. I have offered a high chair, water skis, even tiki torches and all have been taken. I in turn needed a DVD player and received it from someone. Each county has its own group, but you are free to join any group. Many members of the Lake County freecycle group are also members of Mendocino Couny’s freecycle group.

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RECYCLE old toys by taking them to a charity shop, sell them or find websites that reuse things, such as Gumtree and Freecycle.

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6.
Fix things. Mend clothing, repair the vacuum, fix the car—instead of replacing them. Or give them away on Freecycle.org.

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