What is Freecycling?

I received an email from a friend of mine the other day stating that she has some stuff she was freecycling. I had never heard the term before. I know what recycling is, but freecycling? Now that is a new one.

It turns out freecycling is something a lot of us have been doing for years without even knowing it. Freecycling is, according to The Freecycle Network, "a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns." It is, "an offer-based group open to people who want to recycle items rather than throw them away."

Say that you have an old toy box, like my friend did. She didn't want to just throw it away and fill up the landfills needlessly, but throwing a garage sale for just wasn't practical. You can find your local freecycle group through www.freecycle.org and post the toy-box on the yahoo e-list, or whatever manner your local group uses.

Once someone in your area sees that you have a toy-box you want, they contact you via email. Once contacted you will let the individual know where to pick the item up. It's really that simple. Say you have to people who want the toy box. It is then up to you to decide who gets the gift.

Think about throwing out an old couch. That couch might have been perfectly good, but because you were moving, you got a new pet, or a number of other reasons you just didn't need the couch at that time. If you called your local trash removal service the couch would just end up in a landfill. If you chose to freecycle it, the couch would find a new home.

Freecycling does have rules. You cannot freecycle animals, money, trading, alcohol, drugs, weapons, or intangible items. You also need to be at least eighteen years old to belong to a freecycle group.

One thing that freecycle makes clear is that it is not a place to just get free stuff. It is as much about giving as it is getting. It is an offer based group dedicated to recycling. In fact my local freecycle group requires that my first post be an offer of something.

Freecycle benefits the neighbor hood you live in because it is done locally. From the freecycle.org website, "Think globally, recycle locally." Working to reduce our carbon footprint we all know how important it is to "Go Local." Freecycling is just one more example of how you can act locally to improve our earth.