Freecycle is made up of 4,137 groups with 3,944,000 members across the globe. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills.

Stuff I’ve gotten through freecyle: good condition futon mattress, books, back issues of magazines I was looking for (Granta, Glimmer Train, Asimov, Analog), office/business binders, and a LAPTOP. I couldn’t believe it, I just happened to be checking my email the moment the guy was offering it, and I was the first to respond. How cool is that? He was all apologetic about it because it’s an older model and heavy and slow, but it’s cool to me. I just wanted a laptop so I could write on my porch or balcony or whatever and not be chained to my desktop.

Stuff I’ve given away through freecycle: books, kids’ clothes, toys, kids’ outgrown bikes, old software we don’t use, an old but workable printer. The Cleveland freecyle list went through some drama awhile back because people were posting asking for cars, Tv’s new/late model computers, etc., which a lot of people feel is way greedy and not what the list is about. I kinda agree, if someone offers a car that’s one thing, but to get on the list asking for a new car is another. But whatever, ask and you may get it. Some woman for a joke posted that she was looking for a house if anybody happened to have one they weren’t using, preferably furnished. Ha! So some folks not understanding it was a joke got all irate.

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