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Welcome to the modern day Swap Shop

Laura Thistlethwaite
21/ 2/2008

IT’S all part of the great re-cycle of life. For one man’s junk can quite literally be another man’s treasure – if the buzz around the free-for-all websites Freecycle and RealCycle Manchester is anything to go by.

A mop and bucket, a flatbed scanner, flagstones, a 1970’s orange tent, three Jiffy bags and a brand new children’s quad bike ‘bought by grandparents as a very over-ambitious first birthday present’ - these probably go some way toward illustrating a mere selection of the weird and wonderful goods people want to give each other for FREE this week.

The sites aim to reduce landfill by providing an opportunity for members to pass on anything they no longer need to someone else. And, let’s face it, who doesn’t love something for nothing?

There are now hoards of south Manchester residents all clamouring to donate and receive freebies from the non-profit organisations, which are hailed as a sort of virtual 21st century Swap Shop – minus Noel Edmonds, the beards and the multicolouredness.

Frequent Freecycler Beth Creedon, 30, runs fruit and veg delivery firm Dig, in Chorlton. She said: "We’ve used it for a couple of things, mainly to get rid of stuff we no longer wanted. We decided we didn’t want a TV anymore, so we put it on Freecycle. I think my mum was a bit shocked we just gave it away but we didn’t need it, so why keep hold of it?"

Beth, who lives on Longford Road with her husband Alan, added: "My husband does garden landscaping jobs and one of the big problems is getting rid of all the soil. We had two tons of the stuff so we put it on the website and a community garden project in Hulme took it.

"It’s a great idea; I sort of think of it in terms of money in the karma bank – hoping that if we give things away then one day, when we need something we will get it back."

RealCycle is flourishing and the Manchester group alone boasts 15,000 eager swappers. Freecycle has more then one million members in the UK, with around 1,000 in Manchester.

It was started by Arizonan environmentalist Deron Beal, in 2003, as a means of cutting down on waste. He said: "I live in the Sonora desert, which is one of the most beautiful deserts in the world. And smack-dab in the middle of this desert, you've got this hideous landfill, half of which is full of perfectly good reusable stuff."

The first UK group began in London in October 2003. There are now 459 groups spread across the country, with 1,002,328 members.

The sites work by placing a notice for something you want to give away, then other members respond and let them know why they are most deserving.

Subscribers are sent a daily ‘digest’ list of all the day’s offerings, or they can check the site itself.

Manchester Freecycle group is run by locally-based but unnamed moderators who ensure the rules are adhered to. They say that anyone offering goods are giving a "gift".

Freecycle’s ‘mantra’ states: "It is up to us to give this gift to whomever we feel would be the best recipient. We’re not obligated to give our gift to someone who is rich, poor, single, married, has no kids, has one kid, has 15 kids, has a car, doesn’t have a car, or has a purple octopus named George living in their backyard."

In other words, you can chose who you like the best – for whatever reason – and give them your goods.

Josh Steiner, of Langdale Avenue, Levenshulme, works at the Action for Sustainable Living Project and is a regular user of the website.

The 33-year-old said: "I’ve been using Freecycle for a while. I got a sofa-bed off the site, but it didn’t quite fit the room so I swapped it for a chest of drawers. That’s the best thing about it – if you decide you don’t want it, you can just give it away again to someone who does!

"I have a friend who is part of a Freecycle group in Calderdale who managed to furnish his whole house with things people were giving away.

"I have also got a computer monitor and office equipment. One of my best finds was a kitchen sink – people literally give away everything, including the kitchen sink!"

Freecycle strictly states anything can be given away as long as it is "free, legal, and appropriate for all ages. There is to be no pornography, alcohol, tobacco, weapons or drugs of any kind. And there is a stringent two strikes rule, any unaccpetable behaviour and you will no longer be a member.

The freebie-loving idea is being championed by Manchester’s Green Party.

Chairman Brian Candeland: "I think it’s a great scheme to get people to recycle things and especially perhaps people who wouldn’t normally bother taking things to charity shops.

"It is absolutely of benefit all-round, both in reducing landfill and for people who may not be able to afford certain things can get them for nothing." For more information visit www.freecycle.org or www.realcycle.co.uk.