What are buy nothing groups, and are they worth it?
Buy Nothing Groups are the product of the Buy Nothing Project. The individual groups create a sense of community through sharing. It’s built on the idea that neighbors can reduce waste and save money by giving away items they no longer need and getting things they want for free.
Potential Benefits
These groups are not only a place to receive or borrow things you may need, but also an excellent way to declutter your home while giving back to your community. Depending on your situation, it may be difficult for you to bring items to a donation center, or those items have lots of life left, but the donation center doesn’t take them anymore, like TVs and small appliances. Sharing items, instead of throwing them away, has the added benefit of keeping unnecessary waste out of landfills. The movement is sustained by donations, contributions, and sustaining memberships, which keep the platform and its resources free for everyone.
Potential Drawbacks
While Buy Nothing groups offer many benefits, there can be a few downsides to consider. It’s easy to get caught up in the free-for-all and claim items you don’t actually need, which can add to your clutter problem instead of solving it. Participating also takes time. Listing items requires you to photograph and describe them, and you then have to arrange a time for a neighbor to pick them up. Since the items are free, some people may not show up or be responsive, which can be frustrating and add to the time it takes to give something away.
How to join a group
You have options for participating in your local gift economy. If you’re already on social media, particularly Facebook, you can search groups to see if there’s already an established group for your area. In Chicagoland, there is a Chicago-wide group, but there are also smaller neighborhood groups you can join. Outside of social media, the project has a purpose-built app that helps users find and request items, giving these goods a second life and reducing consumption.