Reduce, reuse, Freecycle

From cat food to baby cribs, Orange County residents are getting things for free thanks to Freecycle. Similar to popular online marketplace Craig’s List, Freecycle allows members of a specific geographic location to obtain goods for free.
The Freecycle movement began in Tucson, AZ in May 2003. Since then, thousands of Freecycle groups have popped up all over the globe, including Orange County. The Orange County Freecycle Network began March 2, 2005. Residents who live or work within the county sign-up for the network through the freecycle.org website. Once registered and accepted, members can then list things that they wish to get rid of or things that they wish to find. The first person to negotiate pick-up, gets the item.
According to the Freecycle website, the goal of the network is to keep usable items out of the landfill, reduce consumerism, manufacture fewer goods and lessen the impact on Earth.
There are few rules to the group. Everything listed must be free, legal and appropriate for all ages; so no alcohol, tobacco, firearms or drugs. Also, posts can’t be used to advertise yard sales or promote businesses. Politics, spam, money, personal attacks and rudeness are prohibited.  Posts must be kept short and can only be listed once per month and nothing can be traded. The idea is to keep all of the posted items absolutely free with no strings or conditions attached.
Rhoadesville resident Ursulina Creel has been using Freecycle since it was created. Having lived in the area since 2000, Creel said she once belonged to the Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg Freecycle groups, both of which existed before the creation of the Orange group.
“When the Orange Freecycle opened, I joined right away,“ Creel said. “I can’t exactly remember where or when but I loved the idea of not wasting and have been with Freecycle since.“
Creel said she lists what she considers to be “odd-ball” items.
“Items like paper coupons to restaurants or stores, unusual furniture or just recently three cans of cat food that I had in my pantry,“ she said. “Just items that I can’t use but figure someone else could.“
Because of tax write-offs, places like Goodwill also attract the things that Creel can’t use.
“I do have a bit of a challenge deciding should I Freecycle? Or should I donate it to the local Goodwill thrift store where I can get a form to use toward my taxes?“ she said. “But there are some items that are too heavy or not useful to Goodwill or thrift stores, so a Freecycling they go.“
According to Creel, some of her listed items go unwanted but some people who do answer her offers become regulars.
“For example, I had some old tires to get rid of,“ she said. “I posted the offer and had a taker. While the person was here to pick them up, he saw I had several used batteries from the shop. He asked for them and I gave them to him; it saved me a trip to the landfill and he can get a dollar or two for recycling them, a win-win. When I accumulate more used batteries, I let the person know and we work out a time for him to pick them up.“
Creel doesn’t just get rid of the things she can’t use, she also finds things that she wants.
“Every single [thing] I have asked for, I have received,“ she said. “My last request was for mint plants. I am moving away from sodas and sugary drinks and want to brew my own tea with fresh tea leaves, so I wanted to start my own mint patch. My request was quickly answered by a lovely woman in Culpeper that not only gave me mint, but many other plants such as hostas, tall grasses and herbs. I couldn’t thank her enough for her generosity.“
Since joining Freecycle, Creel has let others know how happy she is with it.
“I mention Freecycle to lots of people; friends and customers in the hopes they will consider offering instead of trashing,“ she said. “I’m not sure how many people have joined up though.“
For more information about Freecycle and to join the Orange County Freecycle Network, visit http://www.freecycle.org.