Wanted: a return to the spirit of the venture

Some time ago one of my colleagues suggested I join up to Freecycle (http://www.uk.freecycle.org/) – a website designed to reduce the amount going into landfill sites.

The idea behind the laudable scheme is (and I quote from the site) “… a grassroots movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Freecycle groups match people who have things they want to get rid of with people who can use them. Our goal is to keep usable items out of landfills.”

As I said, highly laudable. At the time of writing there are, apparently, 1,722,575 members signed up in the UK.

And, for the first few months I really felt they’d hit on something. I picked up a computer keyboard and speakers, which I needed, and the person 15 miles away didn’t.

I also managed to pass on our old IKEA TV and video cabinet, to a delighted chap from just up the road and pick up a few Dilbert books from a pleasant chap near the station.

However – you knew that was coming didn’t you? – in the last week or so I’m beginning to think the spirit of the thing is being lost; people are just looking to get stuff on the cheap rather than adhere to the ‘less waste principle’.

Increasingly the emails coming through are of the ‘wanted’ variety. Over the past few days I’ve seen requests for ‘X-Box or similar games console’; ‘mobile phone’; ‘double bed’; ‘shelter for small horse(!)’; ‘DVD’s’ (sic); ‘iPod – must be over 16GB(!)’; ‘laptop’; ‘golf clubs’; ‘sat-nav’; and ‘fridge and washing machine’.

In other words, stuff that people would, under any other circumstances, sell.

My favourite – although I had no need to enquire whether or not they were still available – was the offer of “10 bras, sizes 34 - 36 D & DD. I have a bag of 10 larger size bras all in very good condition in fact some I only ever wore once or twice. I didn't stay this size for long…”

The mind boggles.

I’m considering putting a wanted ad in myself: WANTED: winning lottery ticket. Must be worth more than £10,000. Would accept holiday in Maldives as an alternative.