Free Cycle

Freecycle is a microcosmic look at what is right and wrong with humanity.
=On the upside, the concept is genius:
get rid of stuff you don’t need
get stuff you do need
keep stuff out of the landfill
= On the downside, the execution is fraught with problems:
* industrial grade control freakery from the mothership and local mods. I hope I don’t get sued for this review because I didn’t include the [TM] symbol or something.
* annoyingly high percentage of no-​shows when you try to give something away. About 70% in my direct experience.
* people begging for toys like iPhones, xboxes, wii, etc
Is it still better than throwing stuff out? Yeah. Is it better than listing it on eBay or craigslist? Only you know the answer to that.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Free Cycle is a nonprofit organization based on the philosophy of reusing and keeping stuff out of landfills. I have used them about 4 – 5 times over the past 2 years to give away moving boxes/​supplies, a couch, a dining set, books, computer accesories, and a set of bathroom shower curtain/​rug/​towels. I LOVE the fact that I can give this stuff to people who need it — the sofa went to a college student about to go to UNT, the bathroom stuff to a young girl moving out for the first time, the moving supplies to young families, etc — plus, I don’t have to worry about carting it off myself.
I still use Salvation Army for the spring cleaning box of mixed household items/​clothes give-​away every year, but when I have items that are larger or very specific, I try to remember FreeCycle.
Go ahead — make someone’s day!