Freecycle.org Rocks!
RESPONSIBLY DISPOSING OF OUR STUFF
I've been an ardent environmentalist since my early teens. I cycle, recycle, and compost year- round. I have been a vegetarian for the last forty years, eschew plastic water bottles, love second hand shopping—you get the picture.
Not only do I help clients remove clutter and organize, I aim to get rid of unwanted items ecologically. These are sold, donated, or recycled. As a professional organizer, I work diligently to find homes for obscure items in the greater Montreal area, often via freecycle.org.
The Freecycle Network is a grassroots, non-profit movement of people who are giving (and getting) things for free in their own towns, thus keeping "good stuff" out of landfills. The Freecycle network is active in more than 110 countries, with over 9,162,823 million members, and is currently keeping over one thousand tons of stuff our of landfills each day.
As their website states, "by giving freely with no strings attached, members of The Freecycle Network help instill a sense of generosity of spirit as they strengthen local community ties and promote environmental sustainability and reuse."
It's easy to set up a Freecycle account by going to their website. You need to offer something before making any requests. The person receiving the item picks it up from you so there is no delivery involved. I have posted many items that clients were ready to toss and there have been eager takers for things like a 6' Bugs Bunny, old typewriter ribbons, a kid's bike in need of some TLC, a broken wine cooler that the recipient easily fixed, and house plants, among so much more.
It breaks my heart when I pass a lovely wooden bookshelf or sofa by the side of the road that, if not rescued, will end up in the landfill. I wish more people took the time to dispose of items by using Freecycle or Kijiji, or by asking their social networks if anyone would like what they no longer want.
If you want to declutter and organize, all while disposing of your unwanted objects in an ecological manner.