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Freecycle in Northeast PA: Going Green Is Easier Than You Think

(originally published by Karen Rice on PikeWaynePABlog.com)

What is Freecycle™?

Freecycle™, in its own words, is "a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them's good people). Membership is free." Freecycle Logo

Powered by locally moderated Yahoo!® Groups, Freecycle™ groups around the nation are helping people reduce, reuse, and recycle things no longer needed - without adding to landfills. It's the GREEN thing to do!

Do you need something? Post a request for it on Freecycle™. Have something to give away? Freecycle™ it!

This is a great way for home sellers to get rid of some things they don't want to take with them when they move...agents can help their sellers and buyers get rid of unwanted stuff easily with Freecycle™.

I had several rolls of used carpet stacked up behind my sofa for months. Eventually, my husband and I decided we were going to go with hardwood instead of carpet. We tried selling it at a yard sale but were only able to sell one roll.

I was sure SOMEONE could use it. Hubby didn't believe me when I said I would get rid of it (I'm a weakling and he was envisioning me putting it in the van myself and hauling it off ...somewhere.) In hindsight, I should have made a bet with him.

Within minutes of posting it on my local Freecycle™ group, I had over a dozen responses. Within three hours, the carpet was GONE. Two women came in a station wagon, and the three of us loaded the rolls in her car - in the rain, no less!

There are only a few rules for Freecyclers: no selling, no bartering/trading, no advertising your business, and no firearms or other controlled/illegal substances. Everything must be FREE with no strings attached.

Common courtesy requires that you only offer something that is useful, not something that really DOES belong in a dump.

These Freecycle™ groups exist in our general area: one around Honesdale, one for Pike County, one in "The Poconos" which is more toward Stroudsburg/Marshalls Creek/Blakeslee area, and one in Scranton. Here are their websites.

HonesdalePAFreecycle

Pike County PA Freecycle

PoconoFreecycle

ScrantonPAFreecycle

Freecycle™ groups exist all across the nation - visit their main website to find one near you.


WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Paupack Group Independently Owned and Operated

Karen E. Rice is a real estate agent working in Pike & Wayne County of Northeastern PA in the Pocono Mountains. Lake Wallenpaupack is one of Pennsylvania's most popular destinations for vacations, retirement, and purchasing a home.

Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovative marketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.

Areas Served: Hawley, Honesdale, Lake Ariel, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lords Valley, Greeley, Greentown, Tafton, Waymart, and Lackawaxen. Planned Communities: The Hideout, Hemlock Farms, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Fawn Lake Forest, Pocono Springs, Masthope, Indian Rocks, Tink Wig, Woodland Hills, and other communities in NEPA.

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Posted by Karen Rice | Lake Wallenpaupack | Pike & Wayne County, Northeast PA Homes on 09/09/2008 06:03 PM

Comments (6)

Freecycle in the Regional (Localism) Channel

freecycle, pike wayne county pa info

Originally posted at: Pike/Wayne Real Estate: Freecycle in Northeast PA: Going Green Is Easier Than You Think

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6 Comments on Freecycle in Northeast PA: Going Green Is Easier Than You Think

SEP

2008

Karen - I know people who love this group, I think it is about time I take a look. I sure have stuff I am not using that someone else to use.

I subscribed to this group for awhile. It seemed to me there were people asking for stuff all the time. I had a hard time getting unsubscribed. I may have to check it out again. Good blog.

Jennifer, it's a great place to go when you have something to give, that's for sure!

Barbara, a lot of the members of my local group were frustrated with the people asking for stuff too - because it seemed like the same people over and over (often with new usernames but it wasn't long before you could tell it was the same person) asking for anything and everything so they could sell it at a yard sale or put it on eBay.

I moderated the group for a while with two other folks and we talked about it in our private mod group. We came to the conclusion that there will always be people asking, and ya know what? If you don't want to give them something, just delete the email. I actually found some of the asking emails funny (one guy wanted an entire camping outfit, from tent to propane stove and sleeping bags...LOL), and some of them reminded me of something I had gathering dust in my basement (like an extra coffee pot I brought from my parents when they passed away and forgot about...)

I didn't care what people wanted to do with it as long as it was gone from my house and put to use. I didn't want to bother selling it, let someone else do it. I also stopped getting daily emails and went to digest or web only. It can get overwhelming when you get fifty emails every day.

what a great site - great job on giving the info

SEP

2008

KAREN, what a great idea, I'll check and see if it is in Ann ARbor yet. We do have a FREEBIES column in the Sunday paper and have had success with it.

Sounds like a great way to re-use things instead of them ending up in the dump! We also have free sections in the local newspapers.

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