A fantastic way of recycling and helping people at the same time (freecycle.org)

Member Name: Rockmaiden

Product:	freecycle.org
Date:	08/01/09 (25 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You can get some fantastic items and really help someone by offering them items

Disadvantages: Some people are very rude and ruin it for everyone else

I first joined Freecycle after a friend told me she'd received some children's toys from a member on freecycle.

At the time it seamed fantastic as I had just bought a new 3 piece suite and was questioning what to do with the old one.

I went onto the website and it was very easy to sign up. You simply select your area from the list send off a quick email to the group administrator and once they reply accepting you as a freecycle member your good to go.

The aim of freecycle is to keep things ending up in landfills that are perfectly usable, just because you no longer need something dosn't mean that someone else will be very gratefull for it.

Anyway back to the couch.

I listed the couch as offered which simply means you send an email to the group administor explaining what you are offering and whereabouts you are, it also helps if you upload a picture as people know what they are getting then.

As a previous poster said some people are very rude and simply email I want it in order to be the first to reply. Freecycle themselfs recomend not giving the item to the first person who responds but wait a few days until all your responses come back and pick the person who has taken the time to write a polite response explaining why they would like the item and when they can collect.

I got 12 responses for the 3 piece suite and gave it to a young single mother who was just moving into her first house. I feel good because I know i've helped someone in need and it saves me having to pay for the removal of it.

Several years after joining freecycle I have offered and recieved so much that I couldn't possibly list it all.

Clothing is a great freecycle item especially for children as they grow out of them so quick.

You can also make some fantastic freinds on the site. About a year ago I responded to post offering some children's clothes that would fit my daughter so I emailed explaining that she's recently had a growth spurt and it's getting so expensive to cloth her. The poster invited me to come collect them and while I was there we got chatting and I found out that she had a son a year younger then mine.

Now we often swap clothes, as her daughter out grows them she passes them to me and as my son outgrows his I pass them to her. We often chat on the phone and meet up and we are really good friends now all thanks to freecycle.

Once all our children are done with the clothes they go back onto freecycle for someone else to use.

It's a great community spirit and a fantastic way of recycling, why not have a look today and see what you can pick up.

Summary: It's a very good concept and would work so much better if it wasn't for some greedy people out it al