Archives for : October 2013

The Telegraph: ‘Sharing saves us £20,000 a year’

Household furniture, tools and appliances are also increasingly shared. Popular online sites that allow people to do this include freecycle.org, swapz.co.uk and netcycler.co.uk.

Through these you can trade – or simply rent – household appliances.

If you are giving something away – through Freecycle, say – you have the satisfaction of knowing it is not wasted. But renting is also beneficial to both parties with items like steam cleaners, wallpaper strippers, strimmers and other goods commonly hired out for a small charge.

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The Age.com: Online recycling the gift that keeps on giving

The last time you peered into your shed or spare room, did you look at all the unused items and wonder: why do I have so much stuff? If the answer is ”yes”, you’re not alone. A 2008 report by the Australia Institute states that 88 per cent of Australian homes have at least one cluttered room and that ”four in 10 Australians say they feel anxious, guilty or depressed about the clutter in their homes”.

Little wonder then that Australia is part of a worldwide backlash against consumerism. One of the big ideas is so-called ”collaborative consumption” – the notion that we can share resources, rather than having to own them individually. And this is where Freecycle comes in.

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Grand Designs Live: Ben Harrison -The Inside-out Freecycle Kitchen Garden

My name is Ben Harrison, I am a 22 year old Worcestershire based Landscaper, offering design and build services. I produce detailed designs to suit style, build cost and material preferences. I have a keen interest in upcyling existing materials and products; helping me create unique spaces in unlikely locations.

The Inside-out Freecycle Kitchen Garden

This garden will be designed making use of Freecycle and all other freely available recycled items that you would typically see in your kitchen. Sinks have become planters, tea cups and jars grow herbs and kitchen cabinets frame cleverly grown vegetables.

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YouTube:Dean Cummings – Free Items Abound In Money Savers

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PhillyBurbs.com: $aving Bucks through Freecycle

Nothing beats the economic blues like free stuff.

So many, including myself, are turning to Freecycle, a network of communities dedicated to giving and getting things — furniture, toys, clothes, etc. — all for free.

It’s another feel-good online destination to help you save money and reduce clutter.

Freecycle, its website touts, is about “keeping things out of the landfill, sharing an item that retains usefulness, clearing out unused clutter and community.”

It is not a charity, a “lending closet, a free-for-all, a means to get as much free stuff as you can, a way to get more stuff to sell or auction” or “a way (to stop) from taking your broken items to the dump if that’s where they belong.”

The ground rules are straightforward. Everything has to be free, legal and appropriate for all ages.

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