Join your local BuyNothing Project on Facebook, I wished I would have joined sooner.
What is BuyNothing?
The motto of the BuyNothingProject is “Buy less and share more. It makes us all richer and the planet cleaner.”
The basic premise of the BuyNothing Project is that rather than selling something or donating it, you upcycle it to your community. The idea that you get to met your neighbors and help each other out therefore building a more connected, richer community.
How Do I Find My Local BuyNothing?
Join your local BuyNothing Project through Facebook. I LOVE that it is micro-local aka everyone in the group is within a 5-10 minute drive of my house.
There is also an APP, but I’ve found my Facebook group is much more active than the APP.
How Does it Work?
There are three basic premises, “Asks”, “Gifts” and “Gratitude”. Asks are things you are looking for, Gifts are items you are giving away and Gratitude is saying thank you to someone that gave you a gift. Each group might have specific posting requirements, but mine is pretty simple.
- Call if your post is an “ASK, GIFT or GRATITUDE”.
- Give a general Pick Up (P/U) location
- 1 photo ONLY (you can add more photos in the comments)
Why Do I Love It?
First, I love the mission of the BuyNothing Project. Community, getting to know people and sharing items with an actual person or family.
Second, it is amazing for kid stuff! How often do your kids use something once and then never look at it again? Gifting it is so generous and can teach your kids about kindness and sharing. On the flip side, kid stuff doesn’t need to be brand spanking new, kids don’t care! I’ve gotten some great used kids items that I plan to upcycle back into the BuyNothing Project when my kids are done with them!
I hope you enjoy your local BuyNothing Project as much as we do! Remember, even though the group is building kindness and community, always be safe!