freecycle

[free-sahy-kuhl]

verb (used with object)

freecycled, freecycling 

1. to give away (used goods or materials) to people who want them, or to obtain (such items) for free.

verb (used without object)

freecycled, freecycling 

1. to exchange used items for free.

noun

1. an online community that facilitates such exchanges.

freecycle

/ ˈfriːˌsaɪkəl /

noun

1. an informal network of citizens who cooperate online to promote recycling by offering one another unwanted items free of charge

verb

1. (tr) to recycle (an unwanted item) by offering it to someone free of charge

Other Word Forms

• freecycler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of freecycle¹

2000–05; blend of free and recycle

Example Sentences

Consider charity shops, or giveaway apps like Freegle and Freecycle, or the tip for items which can't be reused.

Read more on BBC

Your nearby Buy Nothing, Freecycle or Freeya groups are great places to haul away unwanted things, accumulate new items and deepen your sense of community and connection — all for free, said Mockford.

Read more on Salon

Rockefeller met Liesl Clark, who would become her Buy Nothing co-founder, in 2009 via the Bainbridge Island Freecycle group.

Read more on Seattle Times

"We've had to save money wherever we could, so a lot of foraging in skips and scouring freecycle for hours on end looking for free wood," said Amie.

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Online groups such as the Buy Nothing Project and Freecycle have numerous members who swap items, including children’s clothes, at no cost to people in their communities.

Read more on Washington Post