What do you do with things that you would never advertise in the classifieds of the local paper, but you just can’t bring yourself to throw out? If the guilt of adding to the world’s enormous pile of garbage bothers you, there is a solution.

It’s called “freecycling.”

There is a network of people, including folks in the south county, using the Internet to recycle and reuse their unwanted belongings. Freecyclers post items they want to get rid of. Other freecyclers read the posting and make arrangements to pick up. People also post for items they want to acquire and a deal is often made the same day.

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From stories of mass foreclosures to recent layoffs in the area, our paper has more stories of economic crisis than any of us really want to see. Of course, it’s our job to report the news as it happens, so we can’t turn a blind eye to the economy or the plight of local residents as they struggle to make ends meet.

To offset recent economic difficulties, many people have discovered or rediscovered new ways to save money.

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Don’t junk that old female mannequin stuffed in the back of the hallway closet, or the hermit crab starter kit collecting dust on an out-of-reach basement shelf. Somebody out there wants them.

And like most other things these days, those people eager to rescue dump-bound items can be found on the Internet.

They’re members of the Freecycle Network, a collection of community-specific message boards where users post descriptions of stuff they want to get rid of or things they’re hoping to find — all of it for free.

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Do you have some old toys or furniture in the basement … But don’t have time — or a pickup truck — to get rid of it? Then you may want to know about a new free service… Where someone will haul it away for you!

Val Taylor showed me a new website that’s almost changed her life. It’s an online community called Freecycle… a way to recycle all sorts of household goods, free of charge that is now active in the Cincinnati area, and other parts of the country.

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Congratulations on a great story to Springfield, IL’s Freecycle group!

“With spring less than a month away, it may be time to clean out your garage but instead of throwing away your junk, maybe consider a cyber-savvy group that will come to your house and pick it up. Story Provided By ABC Newschannel 20 ”

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Carrie Whitaker reports… Michelle Boyles realized a lifelong dream when she and her husband opened the Tea Cozy Cottage 3½ years ago in a historic building on Wooster Pike in Mariemont.

The couple from Pleasant Ridge transformed the building almost all by themselves into a tea house that serves food and tea to groups two weekends a month. Along the way, they had some help.

“We couldn’t have done it without our friends or Freecycle,” Boyles said. “It and Web sites like it made it affordable for us.”

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Randall Hunhoff reports on Arkansas Freecycle groups and other ways to give…

Go to freecycle. org and click your way to the Arkansas sites.

The carefully moderated Little Rock Metro group has more than 5, 000 members. Just about anything can be given away (it’s a child-friendly site that bans guns, pornography and alcohol ). Recent offerings ranged from a chaise lounge to scrap aluminum. The process is designed to keep the giver in control. If you’re really having difficulty parting with your stuff, you could possibly negotiate visitation rights with the taker.

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A nonprofit organization specializing in reusing unwanted items is Freecycle.org. It allows members to give and receive items for free. I’ve never used this service, but I found many local members in the Chicago area, so it seems to have a strong following.

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I also help out by trying to throw nothing away. Clothing and other items are listed on eBay or other online auction websites. If they are not sold through these auctions, I keep some things for my yearly yard sale. However, most of the time, I give these items away. I belong to several local Freecycle and Cheapcycle groups, as well as some other similar websites in my city. When I am finished with items that still have life left in them, I list them on these groups’ message boards. If anyone wants to come my items, they are welcome to them. Things that aren’t sold or given away are donated to a local thrift store that is run by veterans.

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His advice: “If you don’t love it or need it, get rid of it.”
Person doesn’t like the idea of adding to landfills, so she stockpiles items in the corner of garage for a yard sale on a warm day. “I usually always set aside items to donate or recycle in crafty projects as well,” said Person. “Tahlequah has a Freecycle group [www.freecycle.org /group/US/Oklahoma/Tahlequah] as well that I’ve used several times.”

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