Groups that promote gift-giving and exchanging goods and services for free have been around for some time. The Freecycle Network was founded in 2003 by Deron Beal to recycle items and Buy Nothing was started by Liesl Clark and Rebecca Rockefeller in 2013 as a social experiment on a local gift economy and to cut down on plastic use.
Most of you reading here have heard of FreeCycle.org. It is a nonprofit movement where you can get rid of items you no longer need by giving them away for free or request items that you need. There is another interesting site that is currently in its pre-stage that looks quite promising. It is attempting to address some of the major problems people have with FreeCycle.
If you’d like to share with people in your local community, consider groups like the Freecycle Network and BuyNothing (search Facebook Groups for one nearby). Freecycle, for instance, has more than 5,000 local groups worldwide, where members give and get free items.
“The window air conditioner you’re replacing with a new one is basically trash to you but could change someone else’s life,“ says Freecycle’s founder, Deron Beal. (These donations don’t qualify as charitable deductions.)
https://www.consumerreports.org/home-organization/how-to-get-rid-of-stuff-at-home-declutter/
For giveaways only, Freecycle is a service that introduces local people who have stuff to other local people who want that stuff. Once you find your community Freecycle through the main site, you are instructed on how to advertise what you are giving away. Freecycle sends out your email to all of its subscribers and anyone who wants the object replies. Their email is pushed to your personal email, and after that, it’s up to you to contact the person and arrange for the giveaway. And you’ve made two people happy — you and the lucky recipient.
https://www.theverge.com/22594200/recycle-tech-declutter-environment-green
Alina Clark is about as tired of her pandemic wardrobe as her comfort clothes are stretched and torn.
“I have four sets of jeans, seven shirts and five sweaters that I wear every week,” said Clark, co-founder of a software development company in Los Angeles. “They’re everything I’ve worn in the last two years. Me and my wardrobe are suffering from COVID fatigue.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/03/energy-giant-orsted-to-recover-reuse-or-recycle-turbine-blades.html
These two have been around for decades, and both have a feast-or-famine reputation: You’re either lucky enough to live where there’s a great group offering great things, or you live in a place where people try to unload some pretty awful stuff. (Fun fact: A guy in Fairbanks, Alaska, advertised free dog poop — “You shovel, you haul.”)
https://www.moneytalksnews.com/5-ways-to-fill-your-pantry-with-free-food/
Old photographs of immigrant ancestors or a city scene might interest historical or genealogical societies. Interesting or vintage photos could also find a new home through Freecycle. If the photos have the right appeal, a stock photo company, like Adobe Stock, might even pay for them.
When possible, reuse is even better than recycling. If the toys are still in good condition, passing them along to a younger child or offering them on Freecycle are good options. If they’re like-new or collectibles, selling them on Craig’s List or eBay is an option. Even items that aren’t in the best shape may attract a buyer; I saw a “Drowsy Doll” like I used to have on eBay — it sure brought back memories!
Those not tempted by a cracked bowling ball might consider the myriad other items offered for free on websites including Craigslist, Facebook and Freecycle. Recent offerings include bathing dust for chinchillas, 23 empty beer bottles, a barrel of used soybean oil, five single-serving packets of Arby’s sauce and a Mongolian-language version of the Book of Mormon.
