What is Freecycle.Org?

If you are looking for free stuff, you might want to inquire with Freecycle.org.

This organization provides a fantastic trading network of volunteers who GIVE away used items. The purpose of Freecycle is to give the used goods and merchandise to people who could actually use it, rather than throw it away to a landfill.

In today's world, the human impact on the environment is a huge problem. Secondly, the price of goods is always subject to market pressure. When it comes down to it, the United States does not manufacture the vast majority of items that we use on a daily basis.

The things we throw away last forever. It's incredible that a computer will last almost a thousand years in a landfill prior to being decomposed. With a little ingenuity, that computer could have been recycled. Or, it could have been donated to a country where its technology would be worth several times the price of its scrap metal.

Freecycle breaks the consumer cycle of use and trash by giving your STUFF the opportunity to be used again. Your old computer in your attic could be used at a library in a rural community. Your rusty bike chain could be recycled into art! The possibilities are only limited by how much legwork and free time available to be put into recycling.

How does Freecycle work?

Freecycle works as a regional internet message board / junkyard. If you have something that you want to donate, simply post it on the website and wait for someone to ask to have it. Each group currently exists as a Yahoo! Groups regional hub; you'll have to find your local group.

If you are looking for a specific item, post a WANTED bulletin and see if you are lucky enough to have someone who will give it to you.

What kind of goods does Freecycle donate?

Almost any reuseable item can be found on Freecycle; the problem lies in the useability of the item - usually the reason why the item is free.

The only items that usually cannot be found on Freecycle are items are either federally regulated or ostensibly dangerous. For example, items with toxic elements are usually immediately deleted from the group postings.

Other than dangerous or illegal items, you can find a wealth of used equipment.

For example (and this is an incomplete list):

Computers and computer parts (typically outdated but still useable), bike parts, clothing, machine parts, auto parts, power cords, furniture, books, clothing, school supplies, paints, scrap metal, toys, copiers, televisions, radios, cooking items, camping utilities, fencing, lumber, masonry, musical items, and countless other odds and ends

I suppose that freecycle is mainly for people who have the ability to fix used equipment and make it useful again. The main purpose of freecycle.org is to make sure that those items don't wind up in a landfill when they could be used by someone in need.

I highly recommend visiting Freecycle.org and checking out your local scene. You never know, you might want to donate your used goods, or you might find something that you need!

Best of all, did I mention it's essentially (mostly) free?