THE FREECYCLE NETWORK
SOCIAL STUDIES
www.freecycle.org
The familiar slogan “reduce, reuse, recycle” reminds our consumption-driven society to be mindful of our waste, but recycling frequently receives the bulk of the attention. The Freecycle Network (TFN) offers an avenue for the reuse of working items whose current owners no longer need or want them. The way it works is fairly straightforward: after finding their local group and creating a free membership, users can post listings of items they want to give away (items must be “free, legal and appropriate for all ages”), respond to others’ offers of items, or even post a request for an item they’re looking for. TFN’s emphasis on reuse upholds its mission “to build a worldwide sharing movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.” Following its beginnings as a grassroots organization started by Deron Beal in 2003, TFN is registered as a nonprofit in Arizona and as a charity in the UK. As of this writing, TFN is made up of more than 5,300 local groups run by volunteer moderators in over 110 countries, for a total of more than 9.3 million members worldwide. [JDC
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