The Beauty of Freecycling

Recently I had a massive clear out of things in my house to make room for some needed renovations. I unloaded books, old televisions, furniture, you name it. In early early stages of shifting I became very disappointed with many of the charities I tried to donate things to. I found their attitude absolutely appalling and some of their comments insulting. I was about to give up entirely and just leave everything I didn’t want in my front garden to let the neighborhood have a free for all. Then I stumbled upon a beautiful website called Freecycle.org.

How it Works

You can join Freecycle at no cost. You simply create an account and you are in business. Next you list the items you are willing to gift with a brief description. All items must be given with no cost. Once you post are approved and live on the site, other Freecycle members can see them. They contact you if they are interested and you arrange a pick up time for the item.

A True Charity

I find Freecycle a true charity. Everything you donate goes directly to the person you give it to. Most communities have a local chapter or one nearby. This is sadly not true of many large charities. According to Business Insider as much as 75% of donated money can be eaten up in administrative costs. This of course varies from charity to charity but before I give anything to them I check what goes where. You actually meet the recipient of your gift so you know where your good are going.

The Objective

Contrary to popular belief the main objective of Freecycle isn’t helping the poor get nice things. Freecycle is actually an environmental movement created to keep items out of landfills. If someone else can use something that you no longer need then why not give it too them. When I cleared out my house I had people from all walks of life requesting things. For example i gifted a coffee table to a young married couple that had just bought their first home, a large bag of Christmas decorations to a local nursery and a car load of old televisions and vacuum cleaners to a man that worked on behalf of African Aid.

It might have taken slightly longer to shift things that if I had simply called up Salvation Army and had them haul everything away. However, I got the sense that I was helping people. I got several cards of thanks from the recipients. The next time you find yourself with items to give away. Why not consider Freecycle. Give your items a new home elsewhere.