Until nine hours ago, I had never heard the word “freecycle.” When asked what I thought it might mean, my instinct was to picture a campaign for cycling in favour of reducing car pollution. Close—freecycling refers to a growing network of people who exchange possessions they no longer want in favour of someone else’s item they do want, all in the name of reusing and recycling. A freecycler finds “someone else’s junk” and makes it their treasure.
It’s not as unclean as it sounds. You don’t have to sneak into the alley way between your house and your neighbour’s while attempting to inconspicuously pick through their garbage, all the while praying that Mrs. Hester two doors down doesn’t choose that moment to peek out her floral-print curtains and report you for the dirty, garbage-picking thief you’ve become.
It’s actually much, much simpler.
On freecycle.org, for instance, users can advertise possessions they no longer want and pick up items someone else posts—and it doesn’t cost a cent. In fact, Freecycle Network™ rules that everything posted on the site must be for free.
Freecycle Network™ is a private, nonprofit organization that originated from a single email sent to 30 to 40 friends and nonprofit organizations by Deron Beal on May 1st, 2003. It started as a common initiative to share and exchange what are “perfectly good items” rather than throwing them away. Click here to find a freecycling group in your area.
Freecycling helps the planet in many ways: it reduces waste, saves resources, alleviates landfills of some of their burden, and it’s free. More than 4000 Freecycle Network™ groups exist and thanks to their participation, interested freecyclers can procure any of the following for free: clothes, a mattress, Halloween costumes, a bed, a comforter, picture frames, furniture, computer appliances, and way more.
Freecycling your comforter for a used telephone can result in more giving and taking than you think. You’re getting hours of conversations with friends on the phone and you’re getting rid of your old blanket, but you’re giving more than that. You’re not just giving a comforter—you’re giving comfort. You’re giving someone a smile on their face when they get their new blanket, and you’re giving the planet a little more room to breathe.
By Marisa Baratta
Blog Writer 2009-2010, Change Tomorrow’s World
