The wonders of Freecycle
I am wholeheartedly converted to the virtues of the freecycle movement, and have been for some months now. In fact, I’m boringly evangelical about it - so much so that the local PTA has taken to asking me about ‘that website of yours’ … I wish it had been my idea.
The concept is simple - an email list of people living locally to you, to which you can post emails either informing the list of things that you have that you no longer want or need, or asking the list whether anybody has an item which you do need but which they don’t any more. Then people who want an item contact the person offering it to see if it is still available, and to make arrangements to collect it. The only real rule is that no money must change hands.
So far we’ve given away a climbing frame, a toddler slide, three bikes, a play house, jigsaws, a Tractor Tom kit and a rocking horse - all of which my children have outgrown. And we’ve received some fish for the pond. Fantastic. None of that stuff went in the skip - instead it has gone to a new home. Eventually, of course, those things will no longer be reusable, and will have to be binned, but they will have made lots of children happy, and - for example - three households will not have bought a plastic play house, but will be using the same one bought years ago by the first family.
And it isn’t just childrens toys - I’ve seen computers, furniture, paving slabs, a shed and topsoil all on offer.
Changing the world one gift at a time, as they say - there are 2.8million members of the Freecycle movement now. That is a lot of gifting. Do have a look, and see if there is a group near you.
