BS: Freecycling

Subject: BS: Freecycling
From: Charmion
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 09:08 PM

I have discovered a new web-based phenomenon, concerned with giving stuff away, or asking for stuff and being given it for free. The Freecycle movement, already well-established in the United States, manifested itself in Ottawa as a Yahoo group about two years ago, which is now so busy that it keeps three moderators hard at work.

During the two weeks since Edmund (CET) left to do a court martial in Alberta, I tidied up and cleaned the garage and the garden, finding in the process a whole lot of stuff that we don't need, some of it stuff we never needed. I posted each item on the Ottawa Freecycle site, and saw them march off to new households where they are useful assets, not clutter or toxic waste. This was by far the best way to unload the white plastic patio set my ex-sister-in-law stuck us with (I always knew that woman had no taste), and the lawn mower we no longer need because the grass died and we turned the lawn into a big perennial bed. Once started, I was on a roll, and promptly gave away the extra garbage can that we never used, a baby gate that somehow came into our possession, and three full packages of fertilizer of uncertain vintage.

It's simple: you post a message offering an item and saying in general terms where you live, and people e-mail you asking for it. You pick the response you like the best for whatever reason seems good to you, and e-mail back with your phone number. They call, you arrange a pick-up time, and they come and take the item away.

It's amazing what people need. A woman near us has a standing order for old cotton clothing (dead T-shirts, underpants, pyjamas -- the stuff good housekeepers make dusters out of) and shreds it to make bedding for animals at the Humane Society shelter. A couple of record collectors looking for old vinyl haunt the site, and baby clothes and equipment passes from family to family in a kind of Brownian movement. Our baby barrier went to a couple who are fostering 10-week-old twin boys; their other children are in university and their own baby equipment long gone. The patio set went to a woman with a home day-care and nothing in her back yard but grass. I hated it; she loves it.

Garage sales make sense to some people, but it's just not worth it to us to spend a priceless Saturday arranging and pricing items so we can make 10 bucks on a 13-year-old push lawn mower and 50 cents on 25 feet of cheapest grade garden hose with a leaky coupling. Freecycling is just great.

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: jaze
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 09:22 PM

Discovered it about a year ago. It's great and helps keep landfills less full by giving away stuff you would throw out. One man's junk is another man's treasure.

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 11:20 PM

Been a freecycler and a cheepcycler for months now...

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jun 05 - 01:00 AM

We have a less formalized method of "freecycling" here: Trash days are on Monday and Thursday. If I have something that is usable but isn't something that Goodwill or the Salvation Army, etc., will take, I put it on the curb on Saturday evening. It usually disappears overnight, but if not, it has all day Sunday to be examined. I don't think there is anything that I've put out that way that HASN'T been picked up by someone before the trash guys arrive. This includes stuff like the old carpet padding and old carpet itself when we started remodeling. The padding can be recycled, I'm not sure about the carpet (25-year-old orange shag).

I've picked up some interesting things at the curb myself, under the same circumstances. The informal rule is that if it is trash in a sealed bag, you leave that alone. Anything meant to be given away is in clear sight. A while back the neighbors did have to chase a couple out of the regular trash up the street, after they poked through the recyclable stuff. I thought they made a lot of sense when they told the folks to limit their scavenging to the open boxes.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: Kaleea
Date: 20 Jun 05 - 02:33 AM

I have noticed in recent years that more folks are doing this. I have to get rid of a lot of stuff I've piled up over the years so I can move soon. Since I am unable to physically move alot of things, & have no way to haul the larger things, I believe that I'll get the stuff out in the yard or at least to the porch & put a large sign that says "free." Hopefully, it'll magically disappear.

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 20 Jun 05 - 03:27 AM

Saw a sign in Melbourne forbidding the removing of other people's rubbush from the curb, or as I think they called it 'the nature strip' something like that anyway. I thought then they were either being short sighted or spoilsports.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: Charmion
Date: 20 Jun 05 - 07:40 AM

At least part of the idea behind Freecycling is to have some discretion over who gets your good stuff that you don't need -- the foster family suddenly blesed with infant twins, for example, and not the dealer in second-hand goods. Also, many items that move on to new homes through Freecycle would not survive a night at the curb without damage -- a television set, for example, or books or china.

The City of Ottawa doesn't like the free-at-curb approach either. I think the notion of citizens strolling the boulevards to pick over their neighbours' cast-offs rather offends something deeply suburban and socially ambitious in the average bylaw enforcement officer. They'd rather see the same activity carried out on Saturday mornings under the guise of the garage sale.

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: GUEST,John J
Date: 20 Jun 05 - 08:14 AM

It sounds a great idea, just a shame there's nothing (that I'm aware of) in UK.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: CharleyR
Date: 20 Jun 05 - 08:26 AM

There are UK branches of it too - in fact there is an article about it today on the BBC website http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4553057.stm

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 20 Jun 05 - 08:29 AM

I noticed you waited till Edmund was away!
Giok ¦¬]

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 20 Jun 05 - 10:59 AM

Funny you should say that JohnJ - Know anyone who wants any bike bits..;-)

Seriously though - Hows about starting something though? I would be up for helping at least.

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jun 05 - 11:48 AM

A drawback to inviting any passerby to inspect and haul off unwanted items is that the neighbors become accustomed to seeing strangers walking or driving slowly through the neighborhood, loading up stuff. That can be a real advantage to the average daylight burglar. They'll blend in more.

It makes a lot of sense to reserve the specialized stuff for the "freecycle" service--baby stuff, medical equipment (crutches, chair, etc.) could be picked up by someone selling that stuff, and if you'd rather give it away, vetting applicants is probably the best way to do it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: MBSLynne
Date: 20 Jun 05 - 01:45 PM

I recently found Freecycle, thanks to Clinton Hammond, and joined the nearest group, which has over 100 memebers. (This is UK btw). I'm just arranging to collect a bookcase...the first thing I've actually got from it. Haven't given anytihgn away yet, but I expect it won't be long.

My brother has told me about the American thing of leaving things on the curb with a sign on saying "Free". He got a good office chair that way. We couldn't do it where I live 'cos it would block the footpath...we don't have a grass verge or anything.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: Charmion
Date: 20 Jun 05 - 02:31 PM

Ottawa has a strict by law about stuff at the curb: garbage goes out not earlier than 1800 hr the night before, which limits pick-up potential. Another problem with that kind of ad hoc Freecyling is that a surprising number of people around here won't set foot on your porch without a personal invitation even if there's a "Free To Good Home" sign posted in plain sight on a pile of obvious stuff-to-go. Of course that doesn't mean your bicycle is safe -- it's the honest people who have inhibitions, not thieves.

Giok, you're right about waiting until Edmund is away. Not only have I been doing without his scintillating company, I've also been languishing at home with bronchitis (the inevitable follow-on from a sneezly cold, complicated by summer smog and heat), and being sick is just so bloody boring that it was kinda fun to sort out the stuff in the garage shelving and sweep the floor clean of the winter's filth. God, but I sound pathetic!

I also met two musicians when Freecycling a guitar gig-bag and a badly balanced mandolin case. Would you believe a guy playing the mandolin -- open G tuning -- in a Rolling Stones tribute band called Goat's Head Soup? And the guitar bag went to a nice lady who composes Christian pop songs and is starting out on the coffee house circuit. She sent me a darling e-mail thanking me for "sharing part of my life course." I was so bloody bored I would probably have made tea for Paul Martin if he'd dropped by -- and I haven't voted Liberal since 1982!

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 11:28 AM

Found one in our area John! Mancheaster freecycling

I'm going to give it a go:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Freecycling
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 12:04 PM

it was kinda fun to sort out the stuff in the garage shelving and sweep the floor clean of the winter's filth.

my goodness, a truly serious illness! Take two chocolates and curl up with a good book!