Philosophy of Freecycle.org

Understanding our purpose is essential in dealing with members' questions and problems. The purpose of Freecycle.org is to relocate items that could otherwise wind up in a landfill and these items have to be given no strings attached and free of charge.

That in a nutshell is all we do. While we are a charitable nonprofit, our mission is environmental in helping all to keep good stuff out of landfills and social to the extent that we build community in helping and empowering all, rather then, say, a charity which seeks to aid only the disadvantaged.

Our purpose of recycling via enabling reuse is quite specific and has served as our guiding light over the years. When in doubt, for example if someone is posting about a lost pet or something, we find that steering back to this purpose helps to avoid mission creep. The end result will otherwise be trouble for the moderators, more complaining, more work, and more headaches. And once the door is open it takes months to get it closed again. So we suggest you stick to the rules and insist members stay within the rules. Remind them gently but keep them headed in the right direction.