Nothing proves the old adage that "one man's trash is another man's treasure" like freecyclers--the online networks of ordinary folks who give and get stuff free in their own hometowns. By trading things in this way, they can keep junk out of landfills and save hundreds, maybe even thousands, of dollars.

Just ask Laura Laing, who moved to Baltimore in 2005. Her daughter, Zoe, begged for a backyard swing set. But new ones easily fetched $200 or more. Laing posted a "wanted" notice with a local freecycling group and was offered a real beauty. All she had to do was disassemble it, haul it home, and put it back together. She spent three afternoons working on it, and now Zoe has her dream play rig. Laing says she "saved a bundle, plus had a lot of fun."


Getting started

The free-recycling--or freecycling--movement has grown since the launch of The Freecycle Network in 2003. There are more than 4,000 Freecycle communities reporting some 3.4 million members.

The simplest way to join the Freecycle Network is to go to www.freecycle.org and sign up with a local group. You'll receive e-mail postings of items that are offered, wanted, and accepted. Each community is moderated by a local volunteer, and membership is free.

One caution: Joining can mean you'll get a flood of e-mail. Kristina Roberts, who started and moderates a Freecycle group in Ridgecrest, Calif., says that small communities can generate 400 posts a month, and groups in big cities can produce up to 15,000. To avoid a deluge in your In box, you can receive daily digests (25 listings in a single batch once or twice a day) or choose the read-only option, meaning you check your group's message board. The only drawback to the digest and read-only options is that an item might be gone before you read the posting, Roberts says.

The Freecycle Network isn't the only game in town. Other recycling groups on the Web include www.sharingisgiving.org, www.freecycleamerica.org, and www.freesharing.org. Craig's List has an area on its site (craigslist.org) where people can list items available free.


A penny saved …

The Freecycle Network stresses that it's not simply a place to get cool free stuff; it's a system of giving and getting that creates less waste. Grabby types will be bounced out of the community.

Still, participating can mean significant savings for members. Jennifer Willis, of Beaverton, Ore., got a brand-new ceiling fan worth about $300 through her local Freecycle Network. She found her Alaskan husky on Craig's List. And when Willis built a composting bin and needed red wiggler worms, a "wanted" posting on Freecycle put her in touch with a local woman offering to share some of hers.

Roberts got an exercise machine she prices at about $300, while Laing has redecorated her home on a shoestring by picking up an antique dresser, a 1917 American Standard bathroom sink, an ottoman, and five oversized slate pavers. Kim Wilson, of Windsor, Ontario, says she saved about $500 on winter clothing for her daughter and hundreds more on toys.

Shel Horowitz, a copywriter in Hadley, Mass., got an old Macintosh laptop that will read his aging floppy disks. Three years ago, he scored an old stereo and speakers for his office. Over the years, he has given away a violin, a banjo, computer monitors, a floor lamp, drywall, garden items, a 1983 IBM typewriter, and an espresso machine.

Horowitz, who is a self-described penny-pincher, says he finds the free-recycling movement not just frugal, but environmentally responsible and even a bit karmic. "It's a great alternative to buying new," he says, "and you feel good giving."