How to Find Free Things for the Home
Recycling, Reusing, and Repurposing Furniture and Household Goods
Jul 7, 2009
Landfills are filling up at alarming rates so it only makes sense to keep as much out of them as possible. There are groups all over the planet that are entirely nonprofit and set up to spread the word of the grassroots movements that are asking people to move away from the "disposable" attitude of the past few decades and move into a more eco-friendly mind-set of reusing and "repurposing" anything that can we can.
Freecycle
The Freecycle organization has become fairly well-known and they are a very widely spread group. To become a member a person simply needs to go to http://www.freecycle.org and "join". There they will find discussion groups that are dedicated simply to the giving away and taking of objects. Other sites that are similar to this are:
- http://www.reuseitnetwork.org/
- http://www.freemesa.org/
- http://www.freeuse.org/
- http://www.freesharing.org/
- http://www.sharingisgiving.org/
- http://recyclinggroupfinder.com/
How Freecycle Posts Work
Each organization will have it's own rules, but most of them follow these general rules. Each post in the group will start with "Offer", "Taken", "Wanted" or "Received". When an item is being given away, the giver will list it as "Offer ..." and a brief description of the item and how to pick it up or their contact information. When someone pics it up, the giver should then go back in and list the item as being "Taken". If someone needs something, they list their item as "Wanted ..." and describe the item and when they have gotten one of what they asked for, they will list it as "Received".
Craigslist.org
Craigslist is also another way to give and get free things. Someone wanting to trade, barter or sell can go to Craigslist.org. Once there, they choose their geographical location and then in the middle of the page click on "Free" in the "For Sale" section. This will bring them to items that are being given away for free. Also in the For Sale section is a barter section where people advertise services that they are willing to trade for other services or merchandise.
Dangers
It is important to remember that the items that are being given away are used items. They are most likely not in perfect condition and might need some repairs. Those who receive these items should check with the original manufacturer of those items and be sure that there have not been any safety recalls before using them, as well as having the items checked out by a professional if there is a possibility of a safety issue.
Freecyclers should also be wary of scammers and those who might be creating mischief. There have been instances of ads claiming to be giving away landscaping or other items from in front of houses with no contact information on them, "just come by and pick them up, you dig them you can have them". People have responded to ads like this only to find out that the lister was simply trying to create a little havoc on the homeowner.
When dealing with the general public, readers should always be aware that the people they are dealing with may not be trustworthy. Most people who are involved with these types are sites are there for honest purposes, but it is still wise to never meet anyone from the internet alone. Safety precautions should still apply in these circumstances as they would for any other meeting with strangers.
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