Free to be free
Kristin Bender - McClatchy NewspapersIssue date: 6/10/10 Section: News
"Almost all of them have started within the last year," she said. "And probably a third have launched within the last six months."
Orsi gave away about 150 juicy plums last year on a site called Neighborhood Fruit, and she likely will be rounding up more to give away this year.
"(The site) connects you with someone who likes to eat fruit or make jam so the fruit doesn't go to waste," she said. "A couple times I (gave away fruit), I got a sweet note back."
She also has used websites to find firewood and musical instruments for a children's program she runs.
There's no way to know exactly how many people take advantage of giving and receiving free stuff via the internet every year, but the fact that there has been a recent jump in the number of websites points to greater interest, Orsi said.
What's more, she said, if society made it more difficult to just toss stuff out, the movement might be even bigger.
"Our society has made it so easy for us to throw stuff away," she said. "Our trash cans are huge, and it's not that expensive to get a truck to haul away stuff to a landfill."
'NICE CABBAGE'
Bettis, for one, doesn't let much go to landfills.
When she put the ad up for the free large cabbage (described only as "nice cabbage"), she received three responses.
"Someone came and got it that day," she recalled. She had purchased the vegetable on sale but soon realized it was too much for her to eat.
"It was an extraordinary large cabbage, and I wasn't going to eat it before it went bad. I could have put it in my compost bin, but I thought it would be better for the cabbage if someone could use it."
When she advertised free freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, the response was greater than with the cabbage.
"Several people said, 'It made my day to see that post.' A couple guys came over and sat on the porch and had a few and then took some home."
While Bettis, who is in her 40s, and others say they like the warm and fuzzy feeling they get from giving to others, they also are striving to help the environment.
Orsi gave away about 150 juicy plums last year on a site called Neighborhood Fruit, and she likely will be rounding up more to give away this year.
"(The site) connects you with someone who likes to eat fruit or make jam so the fruit doesn't go to waste," she said. "A couple times I (gave away fruit), I got a sweet note back."
She also has used websites to find firewood and musical instruments for a children's program she runs.
There's no way to know exactly how many people take advantage of giving and receiving free stuff via the internet every year, but the fact that there has been a recent jump in the number of websites points to greater interest, Orsi said.
What's more, she said, if society made it more difficult to just toss stuff out, the movement might be even bigger.
"Our society has made it so easy for us to throw stuff away," she said. "Our trash cans are huge, and it's not that expensive to get a truck to haul away stuff to a landfill."
'NICE CABBAGE'
Bettis, for one, doesn't let much go to landfills.
When she put the ad up for the free large cabbage (described only as "nice cabbage"), she received three responses.
"Someone came and got it that day," she recalled. She had purchased the vegetable on sale but soon realized it was too much for her to eat.
"It was an extraordinary large cabbage, and I wasn't going to eat it before it went bad. I could have put it in my compost bin, but I thought it would be better for the cabbage if someone could use it."
When she advertised free freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, the response was greater than with the cabbage.
"Several people said, 'It made my day to see that post.' A couple guys came over and sat on the porch and had a few and then took some home."
While Bettis, who is in her 40s, and others say they like the warm and fuzzy feeling they get from giving to others, they also are striving to help the environment.
Be the first to comment on this story