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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Websites such as Gumtree.com and Freecycle.org are attracting a growing number of environmentally conscious shoppers.

Anne Seccombe, of Belrose, started using Freecycle three years ago. The website asks members to ”gift” their items rather than toss them in the bin.

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Now, stashers can get their fix around the clock thanks to online freebie communities such as Freecycle, which puts you a click away from an old sofa, a baby’s high chair or a pile of dirt.

This is but one of many thousands of new communities that have sprung from a simple idea and a location on the web.

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