Freecycle

What to you do with items that you no longer use, but are in good working order?

I abhore clutter so I like to throw things out once they are no longer useful or we replace them. The Ours on the other hand doesn't like to waste things. Very difficult as we live in a very small apartment with limited storage space, but I see his point. Landfill sites are fast reaching their capacities each year, helped along by people throwing away items that are still in good nick. Just because we have upgraded something in our home doesn't mean someone else won't get good use out of it.

Which is where Freecycle comes in. Freecycle is a network of email groups located around the world. Simply search for a group in your locality (the Dublin group has over 4000 members alone) and add your email address to the list. Once a member you can offer items you no longer need to other members or request items that you want that other members may have lying around.

As Freecycle says, they are changing the world one gift at a time. I'm a recent convert so next time I have a storage clear out I'll head to my laptop rather than the bins. Above all it'll make the Ours a very happy man.