Reduce, Reuse, Freecycle?

Sorry - I just couldn’t resist having a little more fun at the expense of the ‘Three Rs’ (you may or may not recall my recent ‘peecycling‘ post).

Anyway…

This morning I experienced yet another environmental “DUH?!” moment as I read through the first 45 pages of my brand new copy of “World Changing” (fyi, be assured I will be writing a review of this AMAZING book upon completion), and came across a brief section about Freecycle.org.

I like to think I’m at least semi-familiar with most of the important/cool eco websites out there, but clearly there’s been at least one that’s fallen through the cracks!

How could I not have heard about something this environment-o-licious by now? Hard to say - but the important thing is that now I know (and knowing is half the battle) and can inform/remind others about this great resource.

Ok, for those of you out there who are not familiar with this site, here is my brief explanation…

Freecycle is somewhat like EBay in that it offers a great way to obtain and get rid of…ummm…for lack of a better word…’stuff’. The big difference however is that there is no buying/selling involved, and it is designed to encourage exchanges amongst those located in close geographic proximity.

Browsing the Ontario (Canada) section I discovered that my area (Kitchener-Waterloo) alone already has over 2700 active members, with almost 500 msgs having been posted within the last week. I have joined my group, and just in the top 5 posts I see free movie passes, free wine bottles and a free dishwasher - all available for pick-up within 1/2 hour of where I live.

This is such a brilliant idea! I can’t count the number of times my wife and I have become frustrated with household items we no longer want (and don’t want to throw in the garbage) - stuff we’d be more than happy to give away. On the flip side this also looks like a great way to track down great bargains (you can’t beat FREE).

Anyway, be sure to check out this great resource. Your junk might just be someone else’s treasure!

Technorati Tags: freecycle, recycling, ebay, free, bargains, garage sale, classified ads, junk

Written by Bentley on January 5th, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on Interesting & Notable and Waste Management.

Re-Energy.ca - Educational Renewable Energy Projects

I recently came across a very cool site for all those interested in renewable energy - especially for educators, and anyone who enjoys the ‘hands-on’ approach to learning.

The website in question - Re-Energy.ca - is an educational project of the Pembina Institute, a Canadian, non-profit “environmental policy research and education organization”.

Unlike Build It Solar (a DIY site we discussed not too long ago), the Re-Energy site only offers a handful of different projects and they are definitely more geared towards learning than actual home energy production. That being said, for those of us who are not yet hardcore do-it-yourselfers, these bite-sized projects (and the solid background info) could provide a great starting place for learning to build your own systems.

Here is a blurb from their ‘About Us’ section:

Re-Energy.ca is a renewable energy project kit that can be downloaded and printed from the world wide web - for free! Re-Energy.ca explores wind energy, water energy, solar energy, biomass energy and more. Build your own working models from one of five easy-to-follow construction plans, including a wind turbine, biogas generator, solar car and more. Re-Energy.ca provides educators with background information, exciting hands-on learning activities, resources and links on renewable energy and sustainable energy technologies.

Technorati Tags: renewable energy, solar power, biomass, wind power, wind turbine, hydro power, education, teachers, environmental, DIY

Written by Bentley on January 5th, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on Green Energy.