The Freecycle Network began as a small effort linking non-profit groups and businesses in Tuscon, Arizona. Originally created to promote recycling among businesses and provide jobs for people in need, the group quickly found itself connecting community groups to functional items being thrown away by local businesses.
Deron Beal, the founder of the Freecycle Network, realized that residents of Tuscon would benefit from the opportunity to share goods–allowing people to get rid of things they no longer used while giving the others the chance to find things they needed. The idea spread quickly, keeping an estimated 300 tons of usable goods in circulation each day.
The details of freecycle events are handled by local supporters who can share information through the group’s website. My partner and I dropped by a freecycle event in central Illinois hosted by the Ecology Action Center. Held at a pavilion in a local park, people came and went over the course of the morning. A wide range of items changed hands–from baby clothes and unopened sets of silverware to videotapes of hockey fights and a wooden xiangqi set. At the end of the day, any unclaimed items were given to local thrift stores.
The success of the freecycle concept has attracted corporate grants–including funds from Waste Management–and inspired the creation of grassroots organizations–such as FreeSharing–based on the same core practice. The idea, while simple, gives people an opportunity to connect directly with others in the community and presents an alternative to disposable consumerism.
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. Historian Shae Davidson's research interests include public policy and the relationship between culture and civil society. His publications range from articles on industrial history to absurdist poetry.
