With today's economic realities, a "shift to thrift" is vital to help cash-strapped, debt-laden citizens save more and spend less, while conserving precious resources. Reuse is easier than ever, thanks to a growing universe of websites that help people re-purpose unwanted items and find what they need secondhand.
Swapping and buying used locally is the best way to reuse, because you foster connections and economic development in your community. But when you can't find what you need in your area, innovative websites can help you buy, sell, swap, give away and loan or borrow secondhand items.
Tried-and-True Websites
eBay is the queen of reuse. Although sellers hail from every corner of the US and even a few foreign locales, eBay provides sellers' zipcodes and an in-person pick up option, so users can choose to buy local or close-to-local.
Like eBay, Good Will allows users to buy and sell an array of secondhand items through online auctions. Purchases benefit Good Will's job training and employment programs for disadvantaged and disabled people.
On Craigslist and Half.com, users can buy and sell just about anything through direct sales, not auctions. While Half.com is a national network, Craigslist is divided into locally based mini-websites, so all transactions are based in your area. You can also post volunteer opportunities, garage sale notices, rideshare requests and more.
Get What You Need for Free
Several sites allow you to get a wide variety of used items free of charge - and give away things you can no longer use. The Green Umbrella provides a comprehensive list of independent "free sharing" sites across the US.
Freecycle.org, one of the most popular of free-sharing sites, is broken down by city - you can join the listserv for your community at the main site, keeping all exchanges locally based. Members post unwanted items to the listserv, and responses go directly to the email box of the person making the offer, so pick-up arrangements can be kept private. Members can also request specific items they need.
FreeSharing and ReUseItNetwork operate similarly to Freecycle, and Craigslist has a "free" section for giveaways.
ThrowPlace allows individuals and businesses to list goods they want to donate to US and international non-profits, which pick them up or pay for shipping. Any 501(c)3 organization can register with ThrowPlace for free. The site also includes an "Up for Grabs" section, which functions much like Freecycle - individuals and businesses can get and give away items for free, and a "Business" section where individuals and companies can get higher quality items for a small fee. Items that aren't taken after a month from other sections of the site end up in "Up for Grabs."
In California, IReuse connects nonprofits with free and low-cost furniture, office supplies, computers and many other items that have been donated by for-profits. Individuals can donate or recycle large unwanted items by requesting a quote to have them removed from their home through iReuse Hauling.
Swapping & Borrowing
Got something you'd like to trade instead of sell? Craigslist has a bartering section through which community members can contact each other directly about trading items, from household goods to cleaning products to car parts. DignSwap allows members to post pictures of used clothing and accessories they no longer want and then "dig" through photos of items posted and make even trades with other members. You only pay for shipping.
NeighBorrow functions as an online lending library enabling members in the same community to borrow items such as household tools, electronic appliances, or DVDs. Members can also swap items they don't need or give away something in exchange for "neighborrow bucks," which can later be used to purchase an item that someone else has posted.
