Who says you can’t get something for nothing?

By Natalie Shelton

Those who think you can’t get something for nothing should give Liberty Freecycle a spin.

For those not familiar with the Freecycle craze, www.freecycle.org is a Web site with about 4,200 local groups that are spread across the globe that connect people who want to give free items to those who can use them.

A KC Freecycle and Northland Freecycle have been in existence for several years, and now a Liberty Freecycle just began a few months ago, thanks to moderator Tawnya Reber.

The Liberty Freecycle group already has 99 members, all who can post for free on the Web site items they would like to give away. They also can request needed or wanted free items.

Reber said she was enthused by the number who had joined and hoped even more of them would post items. A person doesn’t have to live in Liberty to be a member.

“I’m really hoping it will grow,” she said. “I think people will find some of the rules are not as strict as some of the other Freecycle sites. I want it to be a fun group, yet at the same time help people and keep stuff out of the landfills in the Northland.”

The Kansas City site, for instance, asks that members post “Wanted” items only on Wednesdays.

Freecycle began in Tucson, Ariz., in 2003 as the brainchild of one man who wanted to promote waste reduction and help save desert landscape from being taken over by landfills, according to its Web site.

It may not be as easy as dropping off a large number of items to the nearest thrift store, but Reber said the general sentiment was that people like exchanging directly with one another and seeing who benefits from their generosity.

Items that have been given away recently on Liberty Freecycle include a frozen hen, a car seat, a highchair and a case of peach yogurt.

“You wouldn’t believe how many people wanted that yogurt,” said Reber, who posted the offer.

As the site grows, Reber may see that the items themselves get even bigger and better, such as the Kansas City and Northland sites, where people have given away sailboats, antiques, microwave ovens, a chicken coop, World War II pilot gear and Jacuzzi tubs, to name a few.

“I’m really big on recycling, so I’m excited to be doing this,” Reber said. “It really is true that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”

The Details

To join the free Liberty Freecycle group, visit www.freecycle.org and type in “Liberty, Missouri.” After following the prompts, click on “Visit the Liberty Yahoo! Group page.” You’ll then need to create a Yahoo! user name and password. If you need help accessing the site or have further questions, e-mail moderator Tawnya Reber at tawnya_reber@yahoo.com.

Staff writer Natalie Shelton can be reached at 781-4941 or nshelton@npgco.com.