After you’ve finished decluttering and reorganizing, what do you do with all the stuff?
Rather than contributing to a landfill, most people would rather donate items that are functional yet no longer needed, to someone or someplace that would be able to use them, A lot of people think about donating clothing, furniture, books, and other unneeded items to a thrift store. While philanthropic, it does present its own challenges, like transporting and coordinating drop off. This can be difficult for people with limited mobility or without access to a vehicle.
Enter the practice known as Regiving — and we know just the organization with resources to get you on your way. Freecycle,a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free, started in 2003 as an email network for 30-40 like-minded neighbors in Tucson, Arizona. The group that is composed of residents who lived in close proximity to one another, began exchanging items among its members for free. Neighbors would post about perfectly good items that were being discarded for other members who might be able to use them.
“We are a grassroots & entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving and getting stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Membership is free.” — freecycle.org
Since its inception, the Freecycle concept has been implemented in communities around the United States and in 110 countries around the world. But how does it work? The Freecycle Networks offers a tool on their website to find your closest group. This tool, the Buy Nothing Project, has an easy, customizable website, and offers local groups through a listserve and social media platforms.
Once you join the group, you will see posted offers that briefly describe the item and its approximate location. A typical post might read, “Offer: One black table lamp, 18 inches tall, circular base, with working light bulb. Located near Martin Park.” Others will post requests for specific items, such as “Wanted: A dustpan. Does anyone have an extra dustpan? Thanks for making my sweeping easier! Can pick up any weeknight this week.”
If something catches your eye, either an item you would like to use or something you could offer, you would just send a message to the poster. If the item generates a lot of interest, the giver is welcome to select anyone they choose. Some groups encourage users to issue a “Taken” post after an item has been shared among the group to help keep track of available items.
Rules vary depending on the group, but almost anything can be freecycled: clothing, toys, furniture, vehicles, appliances, jewelry, etc. As with all communities, the regiving movement includes various social guidelines. Example: it’s considered rude to arrange to pick up an item and then not do so in a timely manner (or at all). These groups are often heavily moderated and participants are expected to act in a neighborly and gracious manner. Courtesy is expected in all communications, and unkind members are not tolerated.
“Anything that a person has to give away that might be useable to another person is fair game. The primary rule of freecycling is that the item has to be given away, not sold.” — What is Freecycle? by J. Beam
Curious how you can get organized while contributing to someone in your neighborhood? Even more curious about what your neighbors might be happy to part with? The regiving movement provides a tangible way to enrich the lives of others in our community, and you never know what you’ll find!