Freecycle Network in 2003 when he couldn’t find a place to recycle a perfectly good bed. The website started as a small group of friends and has grown to over 10 million members in 5,000 online communities across 110 countries. Volunteers moderate the groups, and Beal estimates members kept more than 807 million pounds of used items out of landfills in the last year alone.
Summer is a popular time for yard and garage sales, and you can get rid of unwanted stuff you might not need at your new home. Alternatively, you can donate your housewares, books, clothes, and other items to local charity organizations.
The idea behind giveaway groups like Freecycle or Buy Nothing that started in neighborhoods has evolved to travel. It has created an ecosystem within these pay-it-forward movements where travelers pass on free stuff at the end of a trip by sharing the location of the loot on social media.
“Free cycle” and “buy nothing” groups are gaining popularity online and through new apps as consumers find new ways to save money on everyday items amid rising inflation.
"Free cycle" and "buy nothing" groups are gaining popularity online and through new apps as consumers find new ways to save money on everyday items amid rising inflation. @bworley has more on the movement. pic.twitter.com/qA5gfDpEQh
Free cycle and buy nothing groups are gaining popularity online and through new apps as consumers find new ways to save money on everyday items as inflation soars.
One of the great benefits of the social media revolution is that it has enabled communities to create interest groups which are now available at the touch of a button on our phones. Along with this, has come a range of benefits for households, according to the Seeff Property Group.
These include local community groups focused on recycling and freecycling various household goods, clothing, sport, outdoor gear, and the like.
It is even of benefit when you are cleaning out your garden, removing certain plants, or trimming plants that are suitable for propagation. You might also have leftover tiles or building materials after a renovation project. If you are renovating or remodelling, you might also be able to freecycle old items such as bathroom sanitary wear, cupboards, and more.
Globally, there are thousands of local groups representing millions of members – people helping people and ‘changing the world, one gift at a time’ through using Freecycle services.
By giving freely with no strings attached, members of the Freecycle Network help to instil a sense of generosity of spirit as they strengthen local community ties and promote environmental sustainability and reuse. The existence of Facebook has facilitated these contacts being made.
In line with their aim to foster and promote environmental projects, Castleknock Tidy Towns (CTT) set up Castleknock Freecycle in October ’22, also on Facebook, where people who have items they no longer want or need, can give it away to other local people.
Also check out Freecycle.org to see if it’s available in your city. On Freecycle, people give away things they don’t need any longer.
Some useful stuff listed along with the spoon maker included a food processor, never used, and a hardly worn ski/snowboarding jacket. Looking for used baby gear? Kijiji offers 20 categories of baby items. Need furniture? Karrot offers couches, tables, dressers and more to residents of B.C., Alberta and Ontario. If you’re open to something more whimsical, there’s the corner of the secondhand market where the Edible Spoon Maker exists.
