How could Michelle from Suffield receive a $420 Le Creuset Dutch oven and a $100 bookcase for free? And why did she give away $300 worth of clothing, toys, books and home decorations to other Suffield residents?
Or how about Glenn from town who received a lamp, bookcase and Brita water dispenser with 20 filters, worth $175, for free? Meanwhile, he gave away a $200 laptop and a new $150 Seiko watch.
Then there’s Sara, a resident who borrowed a coffee urn for free from another townie because she didn’t want to buy one to use once.
What’s going on, Suffield? Why the generous giving, taking and lending?
The Buy Nothing Movement
All three townspeople, and over 1,100 fellow Suffield residents, belong to the local Facebook Buy Nothing group that lets them receive and offer household goods and services for free. They can also ask for specific items and request to borrow items.
Payments are not expected or allowed, nor is swapping or bartering.
The group is part of the Buy Nothing Project, the brainchild of two Washington state women who wanted to help reduce waste by letting people give away what they no longer need, help people save money, provide a means for expressing gratitude and build a sense of community. They launched their first Facebook group in 2013.
Today, 7.5 million people belong to 128,000 Buy Nothing communities in 44 countries, according to the gifting platform’s website. To join, you must be a resident of the municipality hosting the group, Suffield, in our case. The Buy Nothing Project also offers a smartphone app.
How it works
You post to the Suffield Buy Nothing group as you would to any other Facebook group. Recent examples include:
- “Youth golf set (used for ages 7-10 approx.) Porch pick up in the center of Suffield.” The post included a photo. Three interested members replied.
- “I am in search of moving boxes and packing material.” One member replied that she had some.
- “Organic Liquid Fertilizer. Unopened 2.5-gallon container.” The post included a photo, and two interested members replied.
It’s up to the “givers” to determine who they choose as recipients, and that’s a bit controversial.
Likes, dislikes and advice
The administrators of Suffield’s Buy Nothing group allowed me to poll members about their experiences. Sixteen responded. Five complained that “givers” choose the first interested party to receive their items, rather than letting posts “simmer” for a while. My online research found that’s a common complaint aired in many other Buy Nothing groups.
In periodic posts introducing new members, Erin Phillip, co-administrator of the Suffield group, advocates holding off on choosing a recipient for a day or two and then choosing one randomly or by some other method. By email, she also suggested how to ask for an item. Explain how it will benefit you to attract the attention of gifters.
Overall, Suffield members are happy with their experiences. Answering my question, “List the three key reasons you use the Suffield Buy Nothing group – from most important to least important,” respondents naturally liked saving money. However, they were also interested in reducing landfill waste and helping needy people. Two respondents mentioned the convenience of easy pickups.
Complaints were mostly minor. Two wished that listings were categorized to make it easier to find what they needed. One objected to recipients not picking up when they promised even after a reminder. Another lamented that members don’t pay enough attention to “in search of” requests. One objected to recipients turning around and selling items they were gifted. Another wished that she could post anonymously so neighbors couldn’t see her listings. In fact, anonymous postings are allowed.
If you’re on Facebook, consider joining the Suffield Buy Nothing group to rid your life of unneeded stuff without clogging the landfill. If you’re not on Facebook and don’t want to join, download the Buy Nothing app to get involved in the worldwide gifting movement.
[Author’s note: After writing this article, I posted to Buy Nothing Suffield for the first time, offering 16 wooden and two plastic hangers destined for the landfill. It was gratifying to find an interested party, someone I knew!]