freecycle logoDo you keep hearing about Freecycle, and how easy it is to exchange goods for free? Are you confused where to start? (Also: Do you happen to be one of my parents?)

This guide will explore the origins of Freecycle, how to find a group near you, and the etiquette of exchanging items on Freecycle.

What is Freecycle?

Freecycle is a movement whose mission is “to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.” The origin of the word, is, of course, “recycle,” and the verb “Freecycle” is often used itself.

Freecycle.org acts as the hub for the Freecycle movement but – and here’s the confusing part for some people – nothing much happens on the site itself. As stated on the site’s main page, “The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,661 groups with 6,287,000 members across the globe. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns…. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them’s good people). Membership is free.”

So How Do I Find a Local Group?

Do start at Freecycle.org, as it is the central database for Freecycle groups. You can use the search box to search for your town by name, but I recommend “Browse Groups” as a better option. For example, if I search on “Lunenburg, Massachusetts,” I get a series of results for groups that are not very close to me (i.e., Quincy?) – this is what will happen if your town doesn’t have its own group, even if the next town over does.

If I browse groups in Massachusetts, I see all the towns that host a group listed alphabetically. This allows me look for any towns that might be near me. Here, for example, is the Fitchburg North and West CARES group, to which I belong.

Signing Up For a Group

Once you select a group, the page will redirect you to the group’s mailing list. Most mailing lists are run by Yahoo!Groups, Google Groups, or a similar service. If you don’t have a free Yahoo or Google account (or whatever provider the group is using), there should be easy steps to follow to get one. Do this first, as this is key to your interaction with your local group.

With membership in a mailing list like this, you or another member can send a message to everyone in the group just by sending an email to an address like Your_Freecycle_Group@groups.yahoo.com. In this way, no one has to know all the names and email addresses of everyone who belongs to the group.

In signing up, it is very important to follow the rules exactly. My Freecycle group, for example, has the following sign-up rules:

  • You must disclose your email ID or you can’t be Approved.
  • Please list your ZIP CODE in your request.
  • Let us KNOW you read & will comply by our site’s rules.
  • You CANNOT choose NO EMAIL in your Profile as Admin MUST be able to reach you, which is minimal.
  • Please read our Rules as some are different on this site than others.
  • Everything posted must be Free, Legal & Family Appropriate.
  • Proper FORMAT in the Subject Line is MANDATORY for ALL Freecycle sites.

In some Freecycle groups, you may be required to submit a short paragraph that describes why you wish to join. This is to rule out people who are joining just to get free stuff to resell, for example.

Okay, I’ve Joined. Now What?

Once you’ve joined, Freecycle emails will start pouring into your inbox – okay, depending on where you’re living, they may dribble rather than pour. If you don’t start seeing emails within a few days, check your settings with the mailing list provider to make sure you have checked the option to receive emails.

The first thing you’ll want to do is acquaint yourself with the rules and etiquette of your particular group. Most often these will be emailed to you as soon as you sign up. This will specify things like what items can be offered for exchange (most Freecycle groups, for example, have a strict “no pets” policy), what the format for email offers/requests should be, how frequently you can request items, etc. Groups can be fussy about these rules, so it’s very important that you pay attention.

Once you’ve read the rules, it’s time to look at the emails you’re receiving. Most Freecycle posts are of one of three types:

  • WANTED: Someone is making a request for an item that they want for free
  • OFFER: Someone is offering an item for free
  • TAKEN: Someone is announcing that something they posted previously has been claimed. Some groups allow the use of “PPU” (pending pick-up) to announce that an item has been claimed but has not been picked up yet, but others do not – again, check the rules of your particular group.

If you are new to this group, it is considered good etiquette to offer an item before you request anything. Some groups also cap the number of “wanted” posts you can make. Once again, refer to the rules.

Offering an Item on Freecycle

If you have an item to offer, simply send an email to the whole group (at Your_Freecycle_Group@groups.yahoo.com, or whatever the address is) with a subject line of “OFFER: [My item]“.

Within a short period of time, if anyone wants that item, they will email you privately to request it. Usually they will tell you when they can pick it up. (Usual Freecycle etiquette dictates that if you’re getting something, you pick it up; if you’re offering something, you let the other person pick it up). At this point you arrange pick up instructions with the person who wants the item, such as “I’m located [here] which is at the end of ABCD Road. I’ll leave the item on the porch for you.”

Some other issues that frequently arise with offering items:

  • Multiple people request the item. Most people simply take the first person who replies; other people give priority to charities or folks in need. You can come up with your own guidelines for who gets your stuff, but make sure they’re in line with the rules of your group.
  • The person who claimed the item doesn’t pick it up. I usually give the person one or two more chances to pick it up, then I offer it to the next person on the list (assuming multiple people claimed it) or relist it. Chronic no-shows should be reported to the administrator of the list.

One major don’t in offering items: don’t just say, “There’s a pile of leftovers from my garage sale on my porch at 1234 ABCD Street; whoever gets there first gets them.” This is frowned upon by many Freecycle groups, and is just plain annoying in others.

Requesting an Item That’s Been Listed

So say that someone is giving away a Nintendo 64 system with the old skool Tetris game you’ve always wanted. (The Nintendo 64 Tetris is the best Tetris, after all!) Email that person off list - i.e., reply to them at their own email address, NOT the entire list – saying simply, “I’m interested in that item and I can pick it up at such-and-such time.” Some people put in a line or two about why they want the item, but frankly, I find that comes off a bit needy.

If the offerer decides that you’re it, they’ll email you back with a confirmation, i.e. “That time works. I’ll leave it on the porch for you. I’m at 1234 ABCD Street.” Don’t be offended if you get no reply back – if the person has a lot of responses, they may not be able to individually reply to everyone who requests it. If you don’t hear back promptly, assume you didn’t get the item.

If you’re requesting an item, the burden is usually on you to pick up an item. Be sure to pick up when you say you will! If you have to miss it for some reason, send a timely update to let the person know what’s up.

Requesting an Item That’s Not Been Listed (i.e. Making a “WANTED” post)

I recommend not posting a “WANTED” post until you’ve been participating for a few weeks to a month, and have offered other items. That said, a “WANTED” post can be very effective for both parties. I have only ever requested two things – an atmosphere oil burner, and a sari – and I got the first and was able to borrow the second. In the first case, the person was very eager to get the item out of their house, as she never used it!

When making a WANTED post, simply post an email to the entire list with the subject line: “WANTED: [your item here].” As outlined above, people will begin to contact you shortly if they have the object you want, and from there, you can arrange pick-up. As always, be courteous and grateful for the item you are getting for free.

Downsides and Alternatives to Freecycle

Asking my young, urban friends why they don’t use Freecycle more, I got a common response: because of transportation. Many of them don’t own cars, and as the burden of pick-up is on the requestor, that makes it difficult to participate.

Some people also dislike the strict rules of Freecycle. It’s true that to deal with a large volume of posts, Freecycle group moderators must sometimes slap people for things that seem trivial, like using headlines that don’t use the words “wanted” or “offer.” As in any human endeavor, too, management issues and bureaucracy creep in, such that some people have left Freecycle to start their own groups with similar interests.

If you’re looking for an alternative to Freecycle – either because it’s burnt you in the past, or you simply don’t have the transportation to participate – I recommend this wikiHow article, How to Find an Alternative to Freecycle.

In Conclusion

There are basically four steps to get involved with Freecycle:

  • Find a group near you.
  • Follow the rules.
  • Give as much as you take.
  • Find appropriate alternatives, when necessary.

If I’ve left anything out, I refer you to this wikiHow article How to Freecycle for more details.

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