One man’s trash is another’s treasure. Over 1,000 people in the Grand Junction area are trying to keep items out of landfills.
They started a website called “Grand Junction FreeCycle.” It’s a site that allows users to post items they no longer need but don’t want to throw away. When members like what they see, they can request the item and get it for free.
Another website called Freecycle.org lets you trade things for free. It’s an online message board that shows you what others in your community have, want and need. You set up a free account and let the trading begin!
So for Carrico, he says this is just the beginning of hunting down trash to turn into treasure.
Another way to “go green” in Sangamon County is by joining the Springfield Freecycle Network, the largest reuse community in central Illinois.
It’s not a charity or a business. It’s an idea that perfectly good used stuff deserves a home other than the landfill. Instead of throwing out things like furniture, dishes, bikes and electronics, people give these items away for free to other people in their community who can use them.
Anyone with access to a computer can log on to www.freecycle.org and find a link to their local community Freecycle site. There are more than 4,300 Freecycle sites and nearly 5 million members worldwide. Illinois has 186 Freecycle sites, with many in central Illinois.
Freecycle is an online group whose members offer free items they no longer want and can ask for anything they may be in need of.
Melanie Clevenger, a Freecycle moderator, said the group is a great resource for students.
According to the national Freecycle network Web site, www.freecycle.org, the group is “globally local,” and each city has volunteer moderators and a unique e-mail group. Anyone living in that city is then welcome to post items to be given away or to seek items which they might be able to use.
And so, in the spirit of EcoGeekiness, I hereby pledge to actually do something about it. This stuff has to go! It’s pretty easy to get rid of stuff nowadays…with EBay and Craigslist and Freecycle. But some of it might not be so easy to part with. So I am hereby beginning a series in which I will be replacing hardware either with multiple-use items (trading scissors for knives) or with software. And, hoorah! I will free myself of these earthly ties….and increase that beautiful spiritual connection I have with this machine before me.
“Not even one hour later, four people e-mailed me saying they would give me a bike for my daughter,” said the Homewood mother of two, who didn’t pay a penny for the used item.
“Last summer I started Freecycle and I think it’s the greatest thing. If they had a Freecycle T-shirt, I’d wear it.”
An excellent electronic alternative to on-line auctions is freecycle.org. On this site, you list your items and people who need them call or email you. This is also a good place to get what you need for free.
Freecycle membership is free and there are freecycle groups in or near most cities. This site is dedicated to keeping usable items out of landfills.
Another way to reduce what you discard is to get creative. Many items have more than one use if you just use some imagination. If you are not good with creative thinking, check out craft sites and ask other people for ideas.
There will be items you need to discard. Thinking green with your garbage is important. Recycle items such as paper, plastic, glass, metal and aluminum.
Keep all items in their original labeled containers. Labels should have instructions on how to properly dispose of the contents.
Whether Bloomington residents want to get a new lamp for free, give away an old shower curtain or buy a cheap window, they have a couple of options for getting recycled goods. Freecycle.org and the Monroe County Habitat for Humanity ReStore both offer outlets for people to trade old items.
Freecycle.org is a global organization that promotes free trading among local residents to stop excess waste. Bloomington is now a branch on the organization’s Web site. The site allows people to sign up for free and list anything they want to give away or wish to receive. It does not have to be something that falls into the typical recycling category, such as paper, plastic or aluminum.
When saving money is truly an objective, we will change our spending habits. The cost of gas is taking a toll. Saving’s tips:
Freecycle.org, a membership organization with thousands of local chapters, helps people give away unwanted goods, such as brand new baby clothes, computers and furniture, to other “freecyclers” so that it won’t end up in landfills. Most of the time, it’s not worn out. People frequently ask for exercise equipment, like treadmills, and find treasures within a day.
Other readers suggested that the books might be desired by interior decorators, home schoolers, scrapbookers or crafters. To connect with the right person, one reader suggested that you “freecycle” them, by which I think she meant posting a notice on the Roanoke section of the Freecycle.org network.
Powered by WordPress