Are You Freecycleing?

Freecycle is this really awesome online community that aims to keep good, reusable items out of landfills. In order to achieve this goal, they have set up thousands of online groups across the globe based on geographical location where individuals can offer and request various items that would otherwise be thrown away.

Freecycle is so awesome because it reduces waste and helps build a community of sharing. I have seen everything from egg cartons to a computer offered, and requests are equally as diverse. Everything is completely free, usually it just requires pick up.

Joining your town's group is easy and free. Visit The Freecycle Network, search by your city, select your city and click "join this group." You will receive an email and be asked to answer a few questions and within a few days the group moderator will [probably] approve you. Once you are approved, you have a couple of options as to how you would like to receive offer and request emails. You can receive each one individually, or you can have it all sent as one email per day. I chose to receive each email individually and while it is usually like 8 emails a day, I don't mind because I can easily delete anything that does not interest me. However, I know many people do not want to sift through that many emails, so receiving it as one email per day may be prefferable for those of you. As soon as you have made your choice, you will start receiving emails. So, start having fun. Clear out that closet of stuff you don't need or use, or maybe ask if someone has some extra jars for the jam you want to make.

Even if you don't end up contributing to your freecycle group much, it is good to be part of the network. You never know when you will be able to help someone out, or when you will be in need yourself. Being a part of a positive community is never a bad thing. And remember, one person's trash is another person's treasure :)