Most of us have heard of the three "R's" when it comes to living a greener lifestyle: reduce, reuse and recycle. Reducing and recycling are probably the easier of the two. Reusing requires a bit more effort. You have to find a new purpose for something that can still be used. What happens when you can't think of that purpose, but you don't want to throw away a potentially useful item? Well, you have a few options. You can pack up those items and donate them to an organization in need, you can arrange for a pick-up of those items or you can become a Freecycle member! Free what?
The Freecycle Network(TM) is a nonprofit movement where you can give (or get) free items to or from other people in your local community. According to the welcome email, "the general rule is 'Keep it free, legal, and appropriate for all ages'. Freecycle groups are intended to be a family oriented place. The goal is to keep perfectly usable items out of our landfills. By using what we already have on this earth, we reduce consumerism, manufacture fewer goods, and lessen the impact on the earth. Another benefit of using Freecycle is that it encourages us to get rid of 'junk' that we no longer need and promotes community involvement in the process."
Membership sign-up is very easy and totally free! You simply visit the main website, type in the name of your city and state and it will give you a few choices of communities near you. Once you select the city/community nearest you and complete registration, a local moderator will help you to verify everything by email. It's just like joining a Yahoo Group (if you're familiar with this). You will then be ready to clear out your closets and garage!
What I especially like is that your items are going to someone who truly needs them. After I recently gave away some kitchen items, I unexpectedly received the following comment: "Thank you very much for all of the kitchen stuff. It was much more than we expected, and we will make good use of it." There truly is more happiness in giving than receiving!
However, if you find that you're in need of some particular item.....no worries! As a Freecycle member, you can also request items. Freecycle advises: "Please use this sparingly and don't offer money. And above all else, don't ask for an extravagant item like a DVD player which we'd all like to have!" Keep in mind that the focus should be on giving.
Best of all, though, I'm given a teaching opportunity for my youngest boys. When they see me cleaning out boxes and separating items into piles (keep, give away, throw away), they're naturally curious and want to know what I'm doing. The infamous Why, mommy? continuously bombards me the entire time. Somehow I'm not irritated. In fact, I'm glad they ask!
The last time I gathered together some outgrown clothes and books, my 4-year-old disappeared into his room for quite a while. When he returned, he had a bag full of toys and books. He said he wanted to help the other boys who didn't have any. He had even included one of his favorite cars. When I asked him why he wanted to give it away, he said: "It's ok, mommy. I don't need it anymore." Funny, all this time I thought I was teaching them something. Turns out I was wrong....again. Like he said, though, it's ok because for once; everybody wins!
Freecycle and the Freecycle logo are trademarks of The Freecycle Network in the United States and/or other countries.
