I recently joined the Freecycle Network, which I had read about for a few years but just never got around to trying. But I found myself needing a desk for our fabulous new Practically Green intern and decided to take a look. First you have to sign up for your local community group using Yahoo! and I have to admit it is not a great user experience. But once you are in, you can see what’s available and sure enough, I found a great desk! I emailed, we arranged a time, and the very nice freecycler who lived a mile from me even helped me pack it into the car.

Since joining, I’ve procured a whiteboard and given away some bubble wrap that I had been saving until I could figure out how to recycle it. And it’s kind of amazing to see what people are trading for free—everything from new sippy cups to furniture to a coconut cake that was a Christmas gift no one wanted. It’s now my first stop when I need something and so far, it’s working well. And I’m beginning to see a way to finally find a good home for the Thomas the Train set that no one really plays with anymore.