Join freecycle and you'll see how wierd people are, how fast your inbox can fill up, and how much stuff is junked that could be saved. We dove in and found that one person's used mousse is another one's treasure. "Offer: Tomato cages. These aren't new, been used a few years, so some are rusty. But they work and they're free…""Wanted: oversized Koi for big, beautiful, healthy backyard. If you have koi that have outgrown your tank, we’d love to adopt them and give them a wonderful and permanent home. We’ve expanded the pond and we'd love to give our guys some friends. Our pond is healthy, clean and beautiful and our fish are happy, friendly and active…" "Offer: anti-frizz mousse. This is for a can of frizz-ease mousse. It has been used twice, once by the friend who gave it to me and once by me. We both found it too
heavy for our hair. Probably best for someone with curly hair. The person receiving the gift has the onus of the pick up, and if you get multiple replies it’s your choice who gets it. ‘Taken’ messages are also posted once the item has been claimed." Maybe you’re cleaning out your closet and don’t know what to do with all the stuff you kept just in case but haven’t used for years. Or maybe you’re looking for a specific item that you can’t find in any store anywhere. Welcome to Freecycle, where you ask thousands of people in your area if they have what you’re looking for, or need what you have. It's the new generation of online shopping, where someone’s junk is your joy, a way to get whatever you want, slightly used, for free. The Freecycle network began in 2003 in Tucson as a way to reduce waste that goes to a landfill. It provides an online forum for people to post what they want or what they have to offer others, a way to recycle unwanted items that may still have a use for someone else. Today Freecycle.org has over 4,000 communities and 3.5 million members worldwide. If you live north of Toronto you can join the group for your town as well as the Toronto group. If you live in a small town you can create a new group and trade within your community. The site is easy to use, and with over 10,500 members in three different Toronto groups it’s getting easier every day to find something as specific as a grey, not blue, L-shaped not straight, four person sofa and matching pillows with fringe. Or to find what this poster was searching for: "Wanted: Adult three-wheeled bicycle. We are in search of a three-wheeled bicycle for my wife. She wants to get out riding with me but has no balance for a regular bike, someone out there must have an old one around rusting up that I could bring back to life."So next time you clean out your closet, don’t throw out that old cage your grandmother gave you when she thought your hamster was a bird, to someone else it may be just what they need. |