freecycle

I recently stumbled upon a perfect fit for my conservationist tendencies.

heard of Freecycle?

it's an organization dedicated to reducing waste while building community. local bulletin boards (hosted by Yahoo groups) carry postings of junk people plan otherwise to discard in the hope that another visitor to the board will have need for such an item. you know what they say, one man's junk is another man's treasure.

their mission statement:

Our 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.

it's essentially a giant garage sale online, but without the exchange of money. that's the principle requirement: no money must change hands. everything must be free, not even shipping charges are allowed. hence the emphasis on local chapters of freecycle. I had first signed up with a chapter that is located in a city about 45 minutes distant; subsequently, a more local chapter was formed and is rapidly growing. I've already acquired and disposed of several items and I feel great about getting something that is no longer useful to me into the hands of someone who can make use of it.

here is a good step toward a more sustainable world.