| In May of 2003, Deron Beal, recycling aficionado of Tucson, Arizona, decided he was tired of seeing his local landfill pile up with reusable items, so he started a revolution called Freecycling. Since then, the grassroots movement has been spreading like wildfire with close to one million members worldwide.
Freecycling made its way to Calgary just over a year ago because self-described community activist and environmental conservationist Lacie Lyons "knew Calgarians would embrace the possibility of reducing their impact on the planet."
The group has grown to over 2,000 members who post messages online offering unwanted items or asking for things they want or need… all for free. The average Freecycler posts items like children’s toys, clothes, books, household appliances and furniture. Not every posting is average, though.
Lyons has seen it all, including a posting for a husband complete with doghouse, a bag of holey odd socks, a cabin needing to be moved, and a box of broken dishes. According to Lyons, someone ended up taking each of those items, excluding the husband (that posting had to be removed).
Lyons says she is passionate about Freecycling because she believes it "reduces the flow to the landfill, provides another route for reusing and recycling, builds community, eliminates the middleman, and amplifies the grassroots movement." She has moved on to Fredericton, New Brunswick where she has started another Freecycling group, helps out with the Charlottetown and Woodstock groups, and approves all pending groups for the four Maritime Provinces.
To join the local Freecycling group, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecyclecalgary/.
Freecycling etiquette
· Everything posted must be FREE. No trading, bartering, or money.
· Everything posted must be a tangible item; no services or advice.
· All items must be legal, safe, and appropriate for all ages.
· No pets offered or requested.
· For every two items requested, offer at least one item.
|
Copyright ©2005 FFWD. All rights reserved.