Reduce, Reuse, Freecycle...

The email from the Patch was straightforward: We’re looking for people who are interested in blogging for us. It took me about a minute to send an email back and ask if they were interested in having someone write about environmental issues. And here we are.

I should introduce myself. My name is Sally McGee, and I live in Webster Groves. I’ve been a resident of Webster Groves for almost three months, having just relocated from California, where I lived on the coast about 25 miles south of San Francisco. Yes, I come from “the land of fruits and nuts” (I don’t mind, fruits and nuts are good for you).

My passion for environmental issues grew over time. The “three R’s” of this century – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle started to resonate with me. Before I knew it, I would talk “going green” with anyone who would listen Being new to the area, I’m still learning about the concerns and interests of the people who live here. I was heartened to find that Freecycle is alive and well in the St Louis area.

If you aren’t familiar with Freecycle, let me give you the short version: It was started several years ago by some folks who wanted to keep “stuff” out of landfills, and is based on the concept that “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure."

Freecyclers belong to a local group, and the rules are simple. If you have something you don’t want/need anymore, you post the item as an Offer. If you are looking for something, you post a Wanted item. When the item is either Taken or Received, you post that as well. So what’s the catch? Freecyclers give away their stuff – they do not charge for it. The entire transaction is free. The details and logistics are worked out between the interested parties.

I loved the Freecycle group I belonged to in California, and immediately joined one here. First thing I posted: we offered our moving boxes. They went really fast.    I’ve responded to a Wanted post for a computer monitor, and I posted a Wanted for a breadmaker (yes, I got one). I’ve seen lemons, flower bulbs, hot tubs, bicycles, clothing, microwave ovens, even TV’s offered or requested. Yeah, you never know what comes up on Freecycle! (One caveat: opt for the daily digest, not individual emails, if you don’t want your inbox clogged with message).

So if you’re interested in keeping things out of the landfill, check them out at www.freecycle.org. Click on the link for St Louis. It’s a simple way to make our landfills a little less full.