Today’s Riddle: What’s Better Than Recycling?

Before I moved I became aware of Freecycling. I had already packed and stored a bunch of stuff though, so I contented myself with making sure such a program was available in the Tampa area. It was.

In case you’re not familiar with it, here’s how it works:
Have you got a purple widget you don’t use anymore? What do you do with it? If you’re like most of us, you squirrel it away in a closet or spare room in case you might [check all that apply]: lose weight, need it someday, find another use for it, break the new one that replaced it—or simply because you don’t know how to get rid of it [as in the case of some toxic substances like furniture stripper, wood sealer, video tapes, computer components, etc.]

One reason many of us hesitate to part with such items is that we hate to throw away something that still has useful life left in it.
Here is how Freecycling comes to the rescue: this loose network can put you in touch with someone who needs that thang that’s gathering dust in your closet—and will put it to immediate use. Problem solved.
Oh, and btw--all items must be free of charge. The receiver makes arrangements to pick up the item from the giver's home, place of business or whatever. That's all there is to it.

Anyhow—
I’ve finally reached the stage in the unpacking process where I’m looking around and taking stock—what do I want to keep and what am I ready to get rid of? If ‘get rid of’ simply meant ‘throw away’, I might opt to store a lot of things against the day they ‘might come in handy.’ BUT, since Tampa has a freecycle program, I’m offering those things to people who will use them now.

And here’s the REAL kicker: most of the boxes I carted my stuff down here in have been used one time. Obviously, they can make at least one more move—probably more than one. Reusing them even beats recycling them. Before they collapse they could, conceivably, travel across the country 3, 4, 5 times and THEN be recycled. What a way to save a few trees!

This is all a long-winded way to suggest that you check into freecycling— see if there’s a program in your community and, if so, look in your closets for those things you know in your heart of hearts you won’t REALLY use again, and pass them on to someone who might.

You can get rid of that clutter—and, while you’re at it, make room for that new thing you’ve been itching to get if you only 1] could afford it and 2] had room for it. So, after you’ve given away enough stuff to make room for it, ask the network for what YOU need.
After all, you never know what may be gathering dust in someone else’s closet [I saw a big-screen TV given away yesterday. . . .]