For the people who pull a U-turn to inspect a bookcase left on a curb. For the people beckoned by fluttering cardboard signs that say “free.” For the people who yield permanent garage space to a broken trampoline instead of taking it to a landfill. For all the thrifty souls who know the enduring value of the hand-me-down.
Welcome home to Freecycle.
An online network that unites regional clusters of users, Freecycle is an exchange system for goods and (occasionally) services. But the first rule of Freecycle is that no money changes hands. No bartering. No swapping.
But because it’s such a streamlined way to turn one’s trash into another’s treasure, Freecycle (freecycle.org) has taken off across the U.S. and in other countries too.
Even though they may come to the group with a mental list of things they want to acquire, new members are encouraged to join the group with an “offer,” if only to reinforce the mantra that Freecycle is more about giving than getting.
After an item is offered on the shared Web site, it’s usually bequeathed to the first comer. Then, the members agree through e-mail on the details of the exchange.
Freecycle started more than a year ago in Tucson, Ariz. Conceived by a worker at a recycling organization, it started as an Internet listserv to help various local non-profits communicate about available items. After a mention of the project in the Utne Reader magazine, Freecycle groups cropped up across the country.
For efficiency, Freecycle certainly has an edge on the newspaper classifieds, said Jim Motavalli, the editor of E/The Environmental Magazine. “What’s new about this is it’s using the power of e-mail and the Internet to connect people, like eBay, but this isn’t financially motivated.”
Regardless of their motives for joining, Freecyclers are playing a part in the world that is too often ignored, Motavalli said.
“You’ve heard of the three R’s, right? Reduce, reuse, recycle. Well, reuse is the most neglected of the three,” he said.
Ken McGahee found he needed the blueprint machine and insulation blower that appeared on the list recently, but the owner of a construction company said his offers far outnumber his takes.
Although it may seem like the system bypasses charitable services such as the Salvation Army, McGahee said he’s connecting directly with people in need.
“The majority of the people on [Freecycle], in my opinion, are people who don’t have the resources to go out and buy things new. They might be stretched thin, and the small things can come in handy.”
But for McGahee, it’s the big things that he’s had some trouble unloading. Still languishing on the Central Connecticut list are his boat, a piano and two wood stoves.
Top cyclers
Portland, Ore., hosts the biggest Freecycle network with more than 8,000 members. Filling out the top three are Austin, Texas, and New York City.
———-
Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Kris Karnopp (kkarnopp@tribune.com)
