Downsizing: the Freecycle phenomenon

“Waste not, want not” Many of us hold onto our extra stuff – things we haven’t used in a while and probably won’t use again – in the hopes that it will come in handy for ourselves or our families one day. But is it really thrifty to hold onto these items? Storage space comes at a cost, particularly if you find yourself maintaining a larger home than you really need. And if downsizing to a smaller home is on the horizon, accumulated belongs can begin to feel like a real burden.

While placing items at consignment shops or holding garage sales has its appeal, it takes time and energy to price and sort through everything – and at the end of the day, it may not sell. And although some charitable organizations still offer to pick up items in good conditions, many no longer do, and don’t always take everything. Hiring a company to simply take the excess away runs in the hundreds of dollars. And even leaving it at the curb comes at a cost to the community and the environment as landfills bulge.

New approach to sharing
Enter the Freecycle(tm) phenomenon. Founded in May 2003 in Tucson, Arizona, the Freecycle network now spans the globe ith over 2.5 million members in more than 3500 communities. The Freecycle mission is to “to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community”. Freecycle depends on the truism that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Using the internet, Freecycle email lists connect those who want or need items with people who are giving them away.

How does it work? It’s remarkably simple. First visit http://www.freecycle.org to find your local group. Then sign up for that local email list. The rules are that everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages. Soliciting business or listing garage sales is not allowed. Local groups may send you an email to explain how they would like you to post your items – for example, you may be asked to put OFFER in the subject line, and to post an email stating when an item has been taken.

Members who have items to give away send an email to the list offering the item (and in large cities, often include a general area for where they live). Then those members who want the item email back to indicate their interest. The giver reads through the emails and decides who will get the item, and then emails that person to arrange for pick up.

Many, if not most, pick ups work more or less like garage sales: the giver leaves the item on the front porch or curb at a specific time, and the receiver picks it up. That way there’s no question about inviting a stranger into your home – and you don’t have to make time to meet the person. If you’re comfortable enough you can save yourself the lifting and carrying and have the receiver take the item out from the basement or spare room, but be sure to keep your personal safety in mind if you take this route.

Benefits beyond decluttering
While getting rid of the clutter is a powerful incentive for using Freecycle there’s also a bonus: there is a truly warm feeling in making sure that a particular item goes to someone who really needs or wants it.

When I had tiles and grout left over at the end of a renovation project, I was simply too lazy to figure out what to do with them and posted them on my local list. Within several hours I had about a dozen emails back. I chose the first that had arrived. The pickup went smoothly and I thought nothing more of it. Four months later, I received an email with a second thank you and a picture of a back porch that was now nicely tiled – and a happy Labrador retriever curled up in the sun. No waste depot ever provided that!

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