Freecycle break down

Freecycle, if you haven’t heard, is an online community that gives stuff away for free. It’s in the name, errrrr. Imagine eBay but without the worry of cash, postage costs and someone giving you a bad review and therefore no precious star added to your, lets face it, stupid user name.

Freecycle is almost entirely email based and after joining the mailing list, expect to get the equivalent of a landfill worth of emails offering and asking for a flee market stall holder’s wet dream in stuff.

The idea is, all that stuff you have taking up space in your love dungeon or yet to be converted trendy loft can be fobbed off to people who like free stuff. The very fact its free means you’re guaranteed to have it picked up. That’s human nature.

The trouble is, if you don’t have a car and in a way you’re exemplifying the very eco principles of the Freecycle system by not having one, it does however make picking things up more painful than watching a party political conference (topical.)

Today, I helped pick up 15kg of sand (don’t ask) from Maida Vale. The trip there was relatively painless thanks to its close proximity to Queen’s Park and the guy we picked up off was very nice, following the trend of all the FreeCyclers I’ve met so far. The trip back however, was like working your way through all nine levels of hell. Dante’s got nothing on me.

The trolley wheel broke, so we had to shift it into a backpack which nearly floored us both. After trudging back at an asthmatic snail’s pace we finally made it back. I’m considering getting a car.

Freecycle is a great idea, after all what’s the point in throwing stuff away or messing about on eBay when people will pick up your junk for free and smile about it.