Like all adoring parents, when our children were little, we bought soft toys, puzzles and board games for our brats. Birthdays brought an avalanche of more toys and games until there came a point of time when we had no space in the house to store all them.
Soon enough, as children are wont to do, they outgrew the toys. Now I was in a dilemma — what to do with the stuffed teddies, Barbie dolls, mechano sets and jigsaw puzzles? I was lucky to find a lady who worked for an NGO and was happy to take these toys to the children's home she helped out with.
If she had not turned up when she did I would have had to reluctantly trash all these things because not only were the toys and games in reasonably good condition but there was also that sentimental link to my children’s childhood.
Inspired initiative
Recently, I came across a post on Facebook which promoted a simple yet powerful concept: Freecycling, the act of giving away items you no longer need, completely free of charge, to others who can benefit from them. It looked like a win-win situation where one person’s previously precious belongings became another person’s treasured find.
I was instantly reminded of my kids’ old toys and the lucky meeting with the NGO lady. In those days such a platform didn’t exist. Let alone Facebook, the internet itself was available to a very select few. I got in touch with the founder of the group, Enakshi Roy, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that she is a Salt Lake resident, staying in my own block — FE . Or so she did till she relocated abroad last year. But she is still active in the group. Enakshi is a graphic designer, working remotely for an Indian health tech company.
“I was setting up my rented home in Bangalore when I came across several freecycling posts on Facebook,” says Enakshi. “I got a lot of items from people who were giving away things like lamps, crockery, books, small tables etc —— mostly from people who were moving out of their homes or simply de-cluttering. All I had to do was to pick them up. At a time when I was new to the city, this act of mindful de-cluttering from strangers really inspired me. When I was leaving Bangalore to settle abroad, I used the same group to give away my things,” says Enakshi.
In France now for a few months, she has used the same platform, Facebook freecycling Paris, to furnish her own flat with the basic essentials. Enakshi has grown up consuming news around climate change and has always been affected by overconsumerism, which has become especially rampant today thanks to the ever-increasing usage of online shopping and everything being readily available at the tap of a button. Instead of fighting it, she decided to make social media her ally.
“I have been volunteering with NGOs like Earth Law Center (New York), The Arctic Institute (Washington DC) and WWF (Global) for more than five years. Participation in afforestation drives in Bangalore was a weekend must-do activity. In Bangalore, the freecycling community has more than 18,000 members and a lot of exchange of personal items like books, indoor plants, small furniture, decor items etc happens on a daily basis. Back in Calcutta, I didn’t find a similar group and my Bangalore experience inspired me to start such a group here,” she says.
The Freecycle Facebook group was originally started as “Freecycle Salt Lake” in 2019. That group was deleted as there was no activity for months. In end-2021, this group, called Freecycle Kolkata, was created.
Growing tribe
Currently there are slightly over 200 members in the Freecycling Kolkata Facebook group and growing slowly. What difference does she find between the people of Bangalore and Calcutta when it comes to things like sustainability and freecycling?
“Well, technology and social media penetration in Bangalore is quite high, for one thing, so connecting with people via online platforms is easy. Also, many Bangaloreans have returned to India after working abroad for a number of years, where they say they have been exposed to environmental consciousness to a much higher degree. Hence their openness to adoption of the Facebook-based sustainability concept through exchanging their possessions instead of buying new items, is a lot higher than what I have experienced in Calcutta,” she says.
The Telegraph
Appeal to reuse
Dear fellow citizens, can we allow ourselves to be considered backward and behind other parts of India in matters of generosity and environmental consciousness? Do we really want to clutter up our homes with things that we no longer want or need?
Instead, wouldn't it be great if we could pass on something we once needed or loved but now don’t have space for, to someone who can give it many more years of useful life? By embracing freecycling, individuals can reduce waste, conserve resources and build a culture of generosity.
They can help combat the ever-growing issue of excessive waste in our society. Instead of discarding usable items that could end up in landfills, freecycling provides a pathway for extending their lifespan and reducing the terrible strain on our environment and natural resources. Real-life examples highlight the positive impact of freecycling in our city.
Take the case of Aparna, who recently joined the Freecycle Kolkata group on Facebook. Aparna had a surplus of baby clothes her child had outgrown. Rather than letting them gather dust in the loft, she posted them on the group, offering them to anyone in need. Within hours, she connected with Anita, a new mother struggling with the costs of raising a baby. Aparna’s act of freecycling not only provided Anita with essential clothing but also forged a friendship rooted in kindness and support.
Today, Anita often seeks parenting tips that Aparna is thrilled to give. It’s now time for each of us to embrace the world we live in and contribute to a more sustainable, connected and compassionate society. For one, you can join Freecycle Kolkata group on Facebook, where you gain access to a vibrant community of individuals dedicated to giving, receiving, and promoting a greener lifestyle.
Invite your friends and grow the community. Whether you have items to share or are in need of something specific, the group serves as a platform for connecting with like-minded individuals right here in our city and neighbourhood. Together, we can shape a brighter and more sustainable future for our city and beyond.