Huron Expositor, 2006-06-28, Page 25News
The Huron Expositor • June 28, 2006 Page 25
Two years and counting for Huron County Freecycle
Jeff H,euchert
This month marks two years since
Bill McCardle, of Seaforth and Liesa
Thomas, of Clinton first started up
a Freecycle group in Huron County.
In its beginnings the free -of -
charge, give-away website consisted
of roughly three dozen members,
but since has steadily continued to
attract new members.
"Right now our membership is
around 400 people- and it just keeps
on going up," says McCardle, who is
an acting administrator for the
group.
"It's growing leaps and bounds,"
he adds, estimating that Huron
County attracts 10-12 new members
a month.
McCardle also points out that the
trend is the same internationally.
Currently, says McCardle, there
is over 2 million Freecycle members
worldwide, spread amongst 3,648
communities, nearly 300 of which
are in Canada. We don't want to see stuff just lying
McCardle says Freecycle was cre- on the side of the road."
ated as a way of helping protect the And, he points out, even with a
environment, as still is its main largely older community, "More and
purpose today. more people seem to be
"We don't want our computer savvy now a
landfills filling up. days."
Especially with stuff Using Freecycle,
that other people could members can post
find useful," he says. items they no longer
"It's great that we need to others within
can get things to people Huron County.
who need, or can use Those who want the
them, but that's only a free items are connect -
sidebar to its ed with the person giv-
(Freecycle's) main pur- ing. them away by
pose." email, where they can
Freecycle's environ- make arrangements to
mental benefit is one of drop them off.
the main reasons The only rule is, all
McCardle thinks it's been items must ` be free, and
such a success in Huron County. McCardle keeps an eye on the web -
"I feel in this area we tend to want site, making sure bartering and
things a little bit more green than sales are not taking place.
in the city. We care about the envi- Recently, the website has seen
ronment because we grow food here, beds, refrigerators, TVs, bikes,
and we have produce and livestock. books and flowers being offered.
'We don't want
our landfills
filling up with.
stuff that other
people could
find useful' --
Huron County
Freecycle
administrator
Bill McCardle
According to McCardle, some of
the more common items given away
in Huron County include children's
clothes and accessories, washers
and dryers and pet accessories.
"Sometimes it's remarkable what
broken things people will take and
tinker with," he says.
And as for the more peculiar give-
aways he's encountered, a old car,
which he says, "needed some serious
work done," four bottles of Windex
and pieces of styrofoam top his list.
And in case you're wondering, all
of the those items did have a taker.
Freecycle also allows members to
post a request for a specific item,
which McCardle says will generate
even more give-aways.
To learn more about Freecycle you
can-. visit its main website at
www freecycle. org, or for the Huron
County website,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hcfre
ecycle/
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