Thanks to Freecycle, the Internet is the new landfill
By Matthew Halverson
The subjectivity of junk is a funny thing. That old shag rug you’re desperate to dump could be just what some ‘70s revivalist needs to finish off his mod-retro living room. Of course, aside from going door to door with said shag rug in tow, how would you ever know? The Internet, digital people connector that it is, now makes it possible to find new homes for your throwaways without ringing a single doorbell.
Like eBay without the haggling or money exchange, Freecycle is an Internet outpost for handing off your hand-me-downs. The online nonprofit launched two and a half years ago as an e-mail listserv for residents in Tucson, Ariz., with the idea that instead of throwing away perfectly good used wares—and thereby further clogging landfills—subscribers could offer them to one another via mass e-mail. And like an Internet joke, the concept spread quickly. Local chapters have cropped up in 3,100 cities around the world. Freecycle St. Louis went live in November 2003 and boasts a subscriber list of more than 9,000.
Your worn-out loveseat only inspiring hatred these days? Found a box of mismatched pots and pans? Got a couple gallons of Glidden you’ll never use? Offer them up and watch as your fellow Freecyclers bombard you with responses, eager to gobble up your secondhand stuff. Few things sit for long on the virtual shelf. “You’d be surprised what people will take,” says list moderator Rhonda Brannin. She’s charged with monitoring the emails to make sure subscribers aren’t selling, trading or borrowing items—and she’s seen everything from bedpans to diapers change hands. “Nothing blows my mind anymore.”
As crazy as offers can get, though, there are a few restrictions. Because anyone, including children, can subscribe, items must be legal and appropriate for all ages. That means no cigarette rollers, guns or musty Playboy collections. Offer an objectionable item once and you’ll get a warning from the moderators who monitor the list. Post another and you’ll get your privileges revoked.
Once you’ve got a taker, send another e-mail to the group informing them that the item is no longer available and make plans to pass it off. If it sounds easy, that’s because it is. In fact, the only challenge is getting new owners to pick up their bounty. The nature of the system makes it easy to claim an item and then forget about it or blow it off, so Brannin suggests screening respondents to make sure they’ll follow through. “Sometimes things come up and they can’t take it after all,” she says. “But if you build a rapport with someone, they’re less likely to stand you up.”
get giving
If you don’t already have a Yahoo! membership, you’ll need to get one. (Don’t worry—it’s free.) Visit my.yahoo.com, pick a screen name and fill in your birthday, zip code and the like.
With your newly minted Yahoo! ID, surf over to groups.yahoo.com/group/freecycle-stl and click “Join This Group!” Enter your ID and password and explain why you want to be a member. (Hint: Don’t say you want to sell stuff.)
Once your membership is approved, you’re ready to give. Keep in mind you could receive more than 100 e-mails per day, so it’s a good idea to select the “Daily Digest” option in your membership profile.
