Internet, I love me some Freecycle. It's a fantastic way to responsibly get rid of things you no longer need and pick up things you can use for free. From their website:
The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,982 groups with 8,753,948 members around the world. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by local volunteers (them's good people). Membership is free.
Once you've joined your local Freecycle chapter, you'll have access to a list of posts by your fellow members either OFFERing an item or asking for an item they WANT, and other users can respond to either claim the offer or fulfill the want. Generally, the person offering the item will give their address and leave the item on their porch or doorstep for the recipient (known as "Porch Pickup" or "PPU"), but many Freecyclers prefer to meet in a public place instead.
Despite all its benefits, Freecycle and I have a love/hate relationship. Sometimes my fellow Freecyclers do such ridiculous things that I feel I'd rather bag up all of my unwanted items and leave them out for the trash instead. Of course, I'd never do something so wasteful, but I've been close!
In the 4+ years I've been Freecycling, I've met a lot of "Dream Freecyclers" - people who are so courteous and awesome to deal with that I will always give them first dibs on an item that I'm giving away. I also have built a "Black List" of people who are so rude and troublesome that their emails get filtered directly into the trash.
In the 4+ years I've been Freecycling, I've met a lot of "Dream Freecyclers" - people who are so courteous and awesome to deal with that I will always give them first dibs on an item that I'm giving away. I also have built a "Black List" of people who are so rude and troublesome that their emails get filtered directly into the trash.
The DOs and DON'Ts
The only hard and fast rule of Freecycle is that everything must be truly free, legal and appropriate for all ages. However, there are some unwritten rules that most members (the successful ones, anyway) abide by. These are some DOs and DON'Ts that will make your experience be as awesome as possible.
DON'T forget your manners. People will respond infinitely more positively to people who are polite than to people who aren't. Make liberal use of please and thank you when appropriate.
DO give thorough descriptions. Don't put someone in the awkward position of driving all the way to your home only to have to refuse an item because it's not what they thought, or worse, to take it anyway and then pitch it. Likewise, if you're posting a WANT be specific or you'll get offers for a lot of junk. List sizes, colors, condition and anything else that helps paint an accurate picture of your item.
"BAG OF SHOES" = BAD
"10 pairs of ladies' shoes, size 8.5" = BETTER
Describe each and if they'd look good on a leggy redhead = Extra Credit ;)
DON'T ask people to call you. Please, people, PLEASE stop giving me your phone numbers. When dealing on the internet, I don't want to have to make phone calls. I've gotten many responses to my Freecycle posts that just say "555-555-1234 call me". Uh...no. If you're going to use Freecycle, plan to communicate via email.
DO include all the necessary info in one email. "Is this still available?" or "I would like this" are not good responses to a an offer. You are invariably making the exchange of emails twice as long as it needs to be. Assume it is available and include all of the information necessary to seal the deal in as few emails as possible.
"Hi, is your toaster still available? I would love to pick it up Tuesday between 5 and 6pm. If this is ok, I'll just need your address. Thanks!" This is ideal because it limits the correspondence to only two emails — your request and their response.
DON'T ask someone to give you directions. Expect to be given an address. This is the internet. Familiarize yourself with Google Maps. It will make your life easier, I promise. I give crap directions and if you ask for them you will end up in a cornfield on the wrong side of town.
DO fess up if you plan to sell the items you're receiving. Some people make some or all of their income from selling used items at flea markets or on eBay, and that's cool (I come from a long line of flea-marketers) but the proper etiquette is to be up front about it, and let people decide if they're OK with you profiting from their charity. Most people won't mind (I don't) and will appreciate your honesty.
DON'T be greedy. I had some yard sale leftovers and I listed eleven items to give away. One person responded to nine of my eleven posts with the same one-liner in each email, "WILL TAKE THIS CAN PICK UP TOM." Oh no you won't, and who the eff is Tom? I waited for other people to respond and gave them first pick. When I told this person that they could have only two of the items, they never responded. Sigh.
DO show up when you say you will. This should go without saying, but pick up when you say you will or send an email to explain and reschedule when you don't. No-Shows who don't contact me go straight to the Black List. On the other hand, I may give precedence to Freecyclers who I know are reliable.
DON'T take things that aren't meant for you. Because we don't take things that aren't ours, right? RIGHT? Things can get a little confusing when someone offers multiple items to multiple people for pickup on the same day. If you're not sure if something is meant for you, ask first. If you're giving things away, put the recipient's name (first only) right on the item to eliminate any confusion.
DO pick the best recipient. You are not obligated to give your items to the first person who responds. You can give them to the person with the longest name or the best grammar or whatever criteria you want. It's your stuff. Sometimes I give my items to the person I perceive as more in-need. If I'm giving away office supplies and you're a school teacher or someone starting a new business, you'll probably win. I'm certainly not encouraging you to invent a sad story to get more stuff, but if it's true and you think it's relevant, it's ok to include those things in your email. Give your items to whomever you feel best about.
DON'T get disheartened. If you Freecycle enough, you will inevitably run into a few bad apples. I've met my share of rude, dishonest and inconsiderate people. However, on the whole Freecyclers are kind and generous, and really just want to help their fellow Freecyclers.
DO pay it forward. Don't just grab up all the offers. I like to peruse the WANTED posts to see if someone needs something that I might have collecting dust in a closet. When you buy a new widget, consider offering your old widget on Freecycle. You might make someone's day.
