If you’re thinking of having a jolly good chuck out when you’re spring cleaning, think again.
Luton online community group Freegle – a spin-off of US-based Freecycle – is asking everyone to share stuff on its website instead.
Founder member and moderator Wanda Hall said: “We want to stop people running to the tip.
“You may think you’ve got a pile of rubbish, but one of our 13,000 members will snap it up.
“When you join, there’s a simple security check and then you can either post items you want to get rid of or list ones you’re looking for.
“You don’t have to worry about people coming into your home – you can agree with the collector to leave items outside your door.
“When you post a message to the group, the replies go directly to your private mail box. This not only keeps the group message list clutter-free but also ensures personal information goes to the person being gifted, not the whole community.”
The Luton group has a number of moderators including mother-of-two Jennie Lambert and Mark McCall, who said belonging to Freegle “just makes common sense.”
Jennie added: “We were going to put our old greenhouse in the tip. But someone came and dismantled it and took it away.”
Goods that are beyond their original purpose can be turned into something new or ‘upcycled.’
A spokesperson for ilovefreegle.org said: “Extending the life of goods is really important. Re-use is more environmentally friendly than recycling which can involve energy and transport.
“Sharing stuff on Freegle, instead of taking it to the tip, is free, legal and beneficial to people, pocket and planet.”
> Find out more at http://freegle.in/Luton-Freegle
> Now watch Natalee Hazelwood’s video at www.lutontoday.co.uk