December 3rd, 2008 · No Comments

The household

Have you met Freecycle? If not, let us introduce you. You’ll want to make it your new best friend.

The thing about Freecycle is this: If there’s anything you need to find a new home for, or if there’s anything you just need, Freecycle is it. If recycling organizations were celebrities, Freecycle would be on the It list for everyone’s dinner parties. We feel safe saying it’s the world’s largest recycling round-robin, considering it has more than 4,600 groups with more than six million members worldwide. It celebrated its fifth anniversary this past May.

Freecycle is simple. It’s on the web, split into geographic areas, broken up into cities and towns. You log in, find the group where you live, and type in a free “ad” – “Offer.” You write a few words about that worn loveseat, those moving boxes, the 35mm camera with a missing lens, the tricycle or the ironing board that you want to give away.

Someone else sees the ad and emails you, and a day or two later, comes to pick it up. They are grateful to have the item without buying it, you are grateful to have gotten rid of it, and you’ve kept it out of the landfill. It works the same way in reverse if there’s something you need, only your ad starts with “Wanted.” And all through the site are sprinkled ads with “Received” and “Taken,” written by people who have completed their missions.

“I think Freecycle is the champion of keeping small things in circulation,” said Deron Beal, founder and executive director of the network. “Particularly around the Christmas season, and it’s great for kids.

“We slide into this pre-Christmas “buy buy buy,” and what’s special about the season – compassion, sharing and all – gets lost in the craziness. You can have your child go through some of their toys to make room for Santa, another family comes and picks up the old swingset, and he’s able to experience the joy of giving to another child. It’s a pretty rare experience for kids today,” Beal said.

Beal has noticed subtle changes in Freecycle ads since the economy made its downward turn. Usually, Freecycle gets about 25,000 new members a week. In the past few weeks, that number has exploded to 45,000-55,000 new members a week.

“I’m noticing more necessity vs. frivolity,” Beal said. “Less people asking for a TV, more people asking for a sofa, or kitchen supplies. More bare-bones stuff and less hobby-supply type stuff. It’s a gut feel more than anything.”

Here are some more ideas for ways to donate items in your house that others could put to good use. And keep Freecycle in mind for anything and everything that doesn’t seem to fit a category.

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