Published: December 28, 2007 09:40 pm         

Online giveaway movement takes hold

Are you beset by a gnawing fear that post-Christmas clutter is almost ready to bury you alive? Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to get organized and divest yourself of items no longer used? If so, why not try Freecycling?

Far from being a typographical error, Freecycling is a growing trend nationally and worldwide. In fact, a chapter of the online giveaway movement exists right here in Beckley. The local group was established Sept. 5, 2004, and Tracey Quattlebaum, 31, of Piney View, has operated it since October of this year.

“A friend of mine sent me a link (to www.freecycle.org). I was just a browser of the site at first and thought it would be a great idea. I had a lot of stuff that I no longer used, so I thought I would post them and see how it goes. The first time I gave something away, it was a good feeling because it was someone who needed it. The more I gave stuff away, the better I felt and the less clutter I have,” she said.

The national site was ushered onto the World Wide Web by Deron Beal in Tucson, Ariz., on May 1, 2003. He sent out his first e-mail announcing The Freecycle Network to between 30 and 40 friends. As the team recycled, rather than watching perfectly good items being tossed away, members found themselves driving or calling to see if various local nonprofit groups could use them.

Thus was born Freecycle, somewhat akin to the eBay concept but without prices, fees or money involved. Everything on Freecycle is given away. Members may post items they no longer need or want, while the option also exists to post “wanted” ads on the site for things members may need. According to the Web site, the group has thus far kept more than 300 tons of daily trash out of landfills. “This amounts to four times the height of Mount Everest in the past year alone, when stacked in garbage trucks,” the site proclaims.

From such humble beginnings in 2003, the network has mushroomed to more than 4.2 million members and 4,211 groups in 75 countries. The Beckley chapter, as of Friday, boasted 582 members. As its chart of monthly message postings revealed, it has grown from five messages in September 2004 to a peak of 257 last June. As of Friday, December postings totaled 103.

“It helps keep trash from landfills, and it helps people who really need things who could not possibly afford them elsewhere. Joining is free, and we’re always giving things away — no strings attached,” Quattlebaum said.

She listed such donations as furniture, appliances and clothing as some of the most frequent items she sees in the Beckley group. “We even allow pets and animals. They can be offered. No one can offer up people,” she joked.

The only requirements are that full disclosure be rendered for items that may be damaged or need repairs. Members also should know, Quattlebaum said, if the item came from a smoke-free or pet-free home and whether it’s in fair or good condition.

“People have broken electronics, like VCRs, that they’ll offer if someone wants to try to fix it. Everyone wants furniture and refrigerators. There’s a demand for couches, chairs and love seats. You see more offers of clothes on there than anything. People are cleaning out their closets. Toys are offered, too,” she explained.

While Beckley’s group is hosted by Yahoo for now, Quattlebaum noted Freecycle hopes to host the groups on its own Web site at some point. For more information, visit www.freecycle.org. While accessible from that site, a direct link to the Beckley group can be found at http://groups. yahoo.com/group/Beckleyfreecycle/.

— E-mail: mhill@register-herald.com