HOUSTON – “Free-cycling" is a word you may have never heard, but you’ve probably done it before. It’s giving away items you no longer want to others instead of filling up landfills when you throw them away. Now, Facebook groups all over the country are making it easier than ever to give and get free stuff through local “Buy Nothing” groups.
How it works
It's pretty simple.
List things you want to give away. We saw listings for everything from furniture, to clothes, pots, pans and even dog food.
You can also ask for specific items you may need, or you can just reply when someone lists something you want. All items posted must be free-- no selling is allowed.
“We’ve always been a big fan of the barter system or free community, and free-cycle has always been a big place in previous places where we’ve lived,” explained Claire Brom, a Kingwood mother of three.
Brom has used the “Buy Nothing Kingwood” group to give away a bed, puzzles, old cloth diapers and a cat scratching tower.
When Brom’s daughters ran out materials for the masks they were making for essential workers, she turned again to the "Buy Nothing” page.
“When we don't want to spend that money that we're hanging onto right now, it's really great to give something new life, new purpose and be able to use it in our home,” explained Brom.
Find a local “Buy Nothing” group
There are several buy nothing group pages in the Houston area listed on Facebook. Just use the search tool to find the one nearest to you. Be prepared. Some will ask you to verify your home address to join.
