Need a desk chair or art supplies for your new hobby? Have you been thinking about getting a fish tank? Is your treadmill just taking up space? Do you have clothes your kids have outgrown?

Instead of buying new stuff and throwing out old stuff, reduce, reuse and recycle at Freecycle.com. The service can connect you with people in your area who have what you need or who need what you have. The best part is, everything on Freecycle is, well, free.

A natural progression
In 2003, Freecycle founder Deron Beal was working for a nonprofit organization in Tucson, Ariz., that provided recycling services for downtown businesses and transitional employment for residents in need. In the process, it gathered perfectly good items that were slated to be thrown away. The organization began networking with other nonprofits to see if the items could be put to use. Freecycle was born.

Today, Freecycle.com hosts 4,775 community groups with more than seven million individual members across 85 countries. Its mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources, eases the burden on landfills and enables members to benefit from the strength of community.

Do it yourself
Freecycle users can post as soon as they’ve joined a community. Daily posts are sent directly to their e-mail addresses and contain a link that allows communication without revealing e-mail addresses until mutual interest is established.

Fishers resident Kara Azevedo signed up for the Freecycle group in her community and said she sees posts for items every day.

“I read about Freecycle.com in Mother Earth News magazine,” Azevedo said. “It’s pretty easy to use. I’ve given and received items by following postings.”

Azevedo recommends making sure the sought-after item is exactly what you need and being truthful about a posted object’s condition. If the lawn mower is broken, say so. Other Freecycle members will appreciate your candor, and a free broken lawn mower might be just what someone is looking for.

“Freecycle.com is definitely connected to my own values about recycling,” Azevedo said. “I felt frustrated seeing neighborhood trash cans overflowing with items that could still be used. I like sharing things rather than throwing them away.”

—By Deb Buehler, for Custom Publications

Get green updates on Twitter. Follow us @greenindycom.