Freecycle Brings Environmentally-Friendly Philosophy to Communities Worldwide

In this technology-driven, bargain-priced culture, there are numerous Web sites touting items that can be bought at low prices. These sites are scattered around the Internet and attract millions of visitors on a daily basis. There are few sites, however, that offer items free of charge with a do-gooder philosophy of recycling and making a positive contribution to the environment. Freecycle is such a site and has expanded beyond the reach of the Internet to take hold in communities worldwide.

Deron Beal founded Freecycle in 2003 while living in Tucson, Arizona. Beal was employed at a small, nonprofit recycling and transitional employment program called RISE. As the company began to accumulate large amounts of usable, non-recyclable items, Beal and his fellow employees began a gifting/recycling group to give the items away. The group's goal was to reduce the amount of waste in downtown Tucson and the number of landfills beginning to dot the span of desert surrounding the town. "If only we could think up a nifty name, I was pretty sure the idea just might catch on," said Beal. "Free plus recycling... Hmm..."

Just three years later, Freecycle has become a movement, now boasting more than 3,600 communities and 2.3 million members. "We have kept over 100 million pounds out of landfills in the past year alone. This is three times the height of Mt. Everest when stacked in garbage trucks," said Beal. "We're keeping an additional 200 tons a day out of landfills as well which means one less landfill in the world."

Joining Freecycle is a simple process. Prospective members go to the Freecycle Web site to search for a local group. Generally, if one does not already exist, they are encouraged to start one through the main site. Joining is easy and consists of filling out a short application with questions regarding reasons for joining Freecycle. The process helps in weeding out those who are less than generous or simply in it for the free goods. When the application process is complete, members begin receiving emails from others in the group. If you have an item you no longer use or want, simply send an "OFFER" email to other members of your group. If you are looking for a particular item, send a "WANTED" email to your group. Those offering items can then sort through responses, choose a recipient, make contact and schedule a pick-up time.

This where the Freecycle process can get tricky. Emails can number into the hundreds on a daily basis --- depending on the needs of your group and community. The main Web site and local moderators warn of the influx of emails and often recommend a separate folder for Freecycle emails.

All Freecycle groups abide by one main rule: Everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages.

There are several Web sites similar to Freecycle, including the popular Craigslist and EBay, in which unique items can be found for low prices. Freecycle's policy of free items with an environmentally-friend philosophy is what sets it apart from these other Web sites. "We have gone from one group to thousands of groups in about 68 countries in a period of about three years," said Beal. "This wonderful growth, while personally rather overwhelming is really deeply moving on a global scale. It means we bipeds are basically good and giving and each of us can make a difference for our environment, keeping good, reusable stuff out of landfills!"

Most Freecycle members agree, citing environmental reasons for joining. "Freecycle has been an activity after my own heart since I have always had a passion for keeping the Earth healthy," said Annie Sires, a National/International Freecycle moderator. "It truly is an organization that helps others give to charity or just to others and help keep the earth just a little nicer. I was once quoted the average poundage of each transaction is 21 pounds... that means that we are really lightening Earth's load for our children."

Others use Freecycle as a means to give --- and get --- interesting items. "Initially, Freecycle was the vehicle for me to move my "junk". After a few months on the board, I learned to watch for things I may need. As a Girl Scout Troop Leader, it was a great source for receiving items that would be unique for the troop," said Phyllis Fletcher, a moderator for the Atlanta, Ga. Freecycle group.

Beal says that members generally trade common items, although "there is an occasional pesky member trying to sell the odd item." Some of the more unusual items given away on the Freecycle sites include: pets (including a huge bunch of baby hamsters), a 100-year-old glass-door kitchen unit, fill dirt, a Life Magazine with Pee Wee Herman on the cover, an L-shaped granite countertop, a hardbound library of piano music and a hospital bed.

Freecycle is still headquartered in Tucson, where Beal operates it from a home office with the help of a single friend. He says the volunteers --- which number more than 6,000 --- do the real work, with a central leadership of eight members. These members address new groups, membership questions, technical support, conflicts/questions/concerns from existing groups and more. Moderators congregate into one main group, dubbed the "Mod Squad." The Squad votes on organizational rules, issues, etc.

While Freecycle remains a non-profit organization, it has does maintain a sponsorship from Waste Management. "Waste Management has printed thousands of brochures for us, covered travel expenses, web design work and funds staff and bandwidth. We'd be sunk without them," said Beal. "We're lucky the continent's largest recycler believes in what we are doing. We expect a couple more underwriters and grants in the very

near future.

Beal says the organization has ground to cover in the fundraising arena. "We are pretty much scraping to cover the expenses right now and the top leadership is working more than full-time jobs (unpaid) to keep things going," he said. "We need to become more active in fundraising. However, finding volunteers with fundraising skills is a challenge. And our rapid growth doesn't leave a lot of time to knock on doors."

Beal says Freecycle's positive message is being spread throughout the world -- which contributes to the ultimate goal of the group. "The response has been a huge and positive tidal wave of people who care," he said. "But, truly, it spreads by word of mouth, "Hey, have you heard of Freecycle? Check it out!"

He says the organization tries to keep up with its growing success and popularity, despite a lack of funding, by "keeping things globally local we don't get overwhelmed and are able to build local community with volunteers in each community." This is keeping with what the group maintains as its core philosophy, "Think globally, recycle locally."

Freecycle member Yevgeniya Nusinovich says her personal beliefs fall right in line with the Freecycle philosophy. "First of all, I generally try to be very environment-friendly. I drive a Prius, walk or bike whenever possible, and always recycle," she said. "At the same time, having grown up in a different country, without the abundance of stuff that most Americans take for granted, I don't like to waste things that might be useful. Freecycling fits both of those philosophies perfectly."