Freecycle Network is a nonprofit organization started in 2003 in Arizona. Since then, Freecycling has spread to cities all over the U.S., and to 85 countries around the world.

Millions of members have joined since its inception almost 10 years ago, and together they keep 500 tons of perfectly good items out of the landfill every day, according to www.freecycle.org.

Freecycle Network is considered a worldwide “gifting” movement that benefits communities while saving valuable resources. It is not a trading community and no money is ever accepted. The goal is for members to “give” the items they don’t want, without any strings attached or compensation. In Las Cruces, Carrie Hamblen, executive director of the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce, has been an active member for more than two years, and avidly encourages Las Cruces residents to join.

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Amanda told me that you can check Freecycle or a thrift store to find an inexpensive crib mattress which you can then wash down with some diluted bleach. She took some comfy fleece material and cut two pieces that extended 6 inches past the edge of the mattress. Then, cut four inch long strips that are about two inches wide. Place one piece of fabric on top of the mattress, and one on the bottom, lining up your strips. Now, tie these strips (a top one to a bottom one) together, all the way around. And there you have it!!

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Paper products can be bulky. I use a coat closet to store anything that doesn’t fit in a bathroom or kitchen area, but any free space in a closet will do. My kitchen is a challenge because it is a bit smaller. To overcome space issues, I discovered a pantry cabinet on Freecycle. Our canned goods go in it. I also use over-the-door shoe organizers to hold small bags and boxes such as rice, puddings, granola bars and bottles of cleaners. I have one in the pantry and one on the laundry room door.

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For those looking to establish their own tool bank, or just looking for that special something, the online registry freecycle.org is a forum for people to “offer” items or post needed items in an effort to reduce landfill waste.

“If you buy a new fridge and you have an extra one that still works, you can list it, and someone who needs one can see it, and it allows you to e-mail back and forth and coordinate getting it to the right person,” said Bill Dickerson, Freecycle Memphis’ administrator. “The idea is that people are not wasting so many things. We live in such a disposable society. We use little while we throw away so much. If something breaks, we don’t fix it. We just throw it away.”

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Freecycle. A lot of what you throw away ends up in a landfill, even when it’s still perfectly usable. Many people are using local Freecycle sites to find a good home for their useful castoffs.

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