Green Tips: Craigslist, Freecycling, and Curb Surfing

Looking for ways to recycle your old stuff, or trying to find treasures in another mans trash? There are three popular ways of trading items to keep them out of the landfill. These are using Craigslist, joining a freecycling group, or curb surfing. Each has positives and negatives.

Craigslist may be the most commonly known. Craigslist may be used to find free used items, to barter items or to buy them. Craigslist can also be used to find yard and garage sales in your area. I've used Craigslist to find many items including free books, a VCR, cheap cars, a high chair, and more. If your city is not listed on Craigslist, choose the closest one to your area.

Craigslist can be dangerous, as can any experience meeting with people you don't know. Use caution, and if something doesn't seem right about your transaction, take a friend or don't go.

Freecycling is usually an online group whose members post a list of items they no longer want, but don't belong in a landfill. The main idea of using a freecycling group is to reduce the amount of usable items being tossed in the trash. Freecycling may also be used to list items you are looking for.

You may be able to find a freecycling group in your area by searching Yahoo! Groups. If there is not a freecycling group in your area, you can always start one yourself. Attract local interest to your freecycling group by word of mouth, posting a sign at your local grocery store or emailing the group link to those of your contacts who are in your area.

Curb surfing is looking for abandoned items along the road that can be used. Some have found abandoned mowers, clothes dryers, scrap metal. I recently saw a crib with a free sign on it. It is important when curb surfing to be sure the item is either free or has been abandoned. A good article to read about curb surfing is this one, by Christopher E. Johnson.

You could also arrange a swap meet with some friends or coworkers. Pick a location for everyone to meet. Bring things you don't want any more and every one must do the same. The items get swapped around, and anything that no one wants can always be donated to a local charity.

Remember, the purpose of all the groups above is to reduce needless waste, Please don't take items if you are only going to toss them, or aren't able to use them.