The Freecycle Network

Last updated
The Freecycle Network
AbbreviationTFN
Formation1 May 2003 (2003-05-01) [1]
Legal status 501(c)3
Purpose Reuse
Region served
121 countries [2]
Membership
6,880,991 [3]
Founder, executive director
Deron Beal [4]
Website www.freecycle.org

The Freecycle Network (TFN) is a private, nonprofit organization [5] registered in Arizona, US and is a charity in the United Kingdom. [6] TFN coordinates a worldwide network of "gifting" groups to divert reusable goods from landfills. The network provides a worldwide online registry, organizing the creation of local groups and forums for individuals and nonprofits to offer (or request) free items for reuse or recycling and to promote a gift economy. [7] In contrast, although flea markets and swap meets also contribute to the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), they involve mainly buying and selling or bartering rather than gifting.

Contents

History

TFN first began when its founder, Deron Beal, collaborated with RISE, a small nonprofit corporation that offers recycling services in the downtown area of Tucson, Arizona, US. [8] The team worked together to find local nonprofits that could potentially use their products, but it was not too successful. Hence, Beal created the first Freecycle email that enabled online users to interact with recycling. In February 2005, TFN accepted $130,000 from Waste Management to help build out the website and the network. [9]

Over time, the concept has spread to over 110 countries, [10] with thousands of local groups and millions of members. [11]

The organization began as a collection of Yahoo! Groups linked from freecycle.org. It has become a web-community platform on freecycle.org for all groups, which are run by local volunteers. [12] TFN encourages the formation of new groups, subject to approval by regional new-group approvers. Groups approved by TFN are listed on the website, can use the TFN name and logo, and are subject to rules which are enforced by a network of global and regional group outreach assistance. [13] As of March 2009, all new groups had to join freecycle.org's new-group system, which provides Freecycle-specific tools for local volunteer moderators and gives TFN oversight of individual groups. As of 2015, all local groups are listed on freecycle.org.[ citation needed ]

Membership

Membership is completely free to all members, and everything posted on the website must be completely free, legal, and appropriate for everyone regardless of their age. [14] Today, TFN is a global organization with over 4,000 local chapters. They passed two-million-member in February 2006. [15] [16] By February 2014, TFN had 6,880,991 members across 5,120 groups worldwide. [17] In December 2023, TFN had 11,022,137 members across 5,355 groups worldwide. [18]

Controversies

Trademark issues

A notice of opposition [19] was filed in federal court by FreecycleSunnyvale against the Freecycle Network [20] in January 2006. An injunction was granted against Tim Oey in May 2006 for allegedly disparaging the TFN trademark. [21] The injunction was stayed in July 2006 and dissolved by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in September 2007. [22] To defend its trademark in 2006, TFN pursued other free recycling groups who used the word "freecycle" or allegedly had "confusingly similar derivations thereof". [23]

Free-speech advocates, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and 38 law professors, filed an amicus brief [24] opposing a trademark-infringement lawsuit filed by TFN against Tim Oey. The opposition was based on the position that the lawsuit violated Oey's First Amendment rights. Other law professors, including Lawrence Lessig, and Jimmy Wales filed a second amicus brief [25] in support of Oey. In 2007, the US 9th Circuit Court affirmed that freecycle may be used as a word. [26]

On November 24, 2010, TFN lost its trademark claim to "Freecycle" and its logo in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. [27] Justice Consuelo María Callahan wrote in her opinion, "Beal did not coin the word 'freecycle' and TFN is not the first organization to promote freecycling ... even ... viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to TFN ... [they] engaged in naked licensing and consequently abandoned the trademarks." [28]

On September 25, 2012, TFN gained a registered trademark in the United States for Freecycle.org (registration number 4215094) from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. [29] TFN also received a registered-collective-membership trademark on that date (registration number 4215095). [30] TFN maintains additional registered trademarks in the European Union, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.[ citation needed ]

UK breakaway

During 2009, there were conflicts between the UK's independent association of TFN moderators and the organization's founders [31] over the UK-based TFN groups' lack of freedom to develop local initiatives and features and their treatment of volunteer group owners and moderators. [32] This resulted in the dismissal of at least 20 local group owners and moderators, who were replaced with new local TFN volunteers. [33] Many owners of UK-based TFN groups formed a new independent association, Freegle. [34] [35] [36] TFN continued in the UK, with both groups present in many areas. [37] In February 2015, TFN UK claimed to have 592 groups with 4,345,095 members. [38]

Payment to Founder

The Freecycle founder now receives an annual payment of over £120,000 per year while the other listed officers are not compensated. This is over 1/3 of the total Freecycle.org revenue. [39] Freecycle.org has not listed any recent Form 990 with the latest from 2016 [40]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Litter</span> Waste products disposed of incorrectly at an inappropriate location

Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. The word litter can also be used as a verb: to litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups, food wrappers, cardboard boxes or plastic bottles on the ground, and leave them there indefinitely or for other people to dispose of as opposed to disposing of them correctly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extended producer responsibility</span> Strategy designed to promote the integration of environmental costs associated with goods

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a strategy to add all of the estimated environmental costs associated with a product throughout the product life cycle to the market price of that product, contemporarily mainly applied in the field of waste management. Such societal costs are typically externalities to market mechanisms, with a common example being the impact of cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zero waste</span> Philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused

Zero waste, or waste minimization, is a set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages redesigning resource life cycles so that all products are repurposed and/or reused. The goal of the movement is to avoid sending trash to landfills, incinerators, oceans, or any other part of the environment. Currently 9% of global plastic is recycled. In a zero waste system, all materials are reused until the optimum level of consumption is reached.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic waste recycling</span> Form of recycling

Electronic waste recycling, electronics recycling, or e-waste recycling is the disassembly and separation of components and raw materials of waste electronics; when referring to specific types of e-waste, the terms like computer recycling or mobile phone recycling may be used. Like other waste streams, reuse, donation, and repair are common sustainable ways to dispose of IT waste.

The FreeSharing Network was an international free recycling network that redistributes unwanted usable items by making them available free via a network of locally managed internet mailing lists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal solid waste</span> Type of waste consisting of everyday items discarded by the public

Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. "Garbage" can also refer specifically to food waste, as in a garbage disposal; the two are sometimes collected separately. In the European Union, the semantic definition is 'mixed municipal waste,' given waste code 20 03 01 in the European Waste Catalog. Although the waste may originate from a number of sources that has nothing to do with a municipality, the traditional role of municipalities in collecting and managing these kinds of waste have produced the particular etymology 'municipal.'

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Geek</span> Organization

Free Geek is a technology related non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon, launched on April 22, 2000. It started as a public event at Pioneer Courthouse Square. In September 2000, it opened a permanent facility as a drop off site for electronic waste. In January 2001, local newspaper The Oregonian ran an article advertising their free computer program for volunteers, which became so successful that they had to start a waiting list. They currently have over 2,000 active volunteers per year.

CREDO Mobile is an American mobile virtual network operator headquartered in San Francisco, California. CREDO Mobile's mobile network operator is Verizon Wireless.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biodegradable waste</span> Organic matter that can be broken down

Biodegradable waste includes any organic matter in waste which can be broken down into carbon dioxide, water, methane, compost, humus, and simple organic molecules by micro-organisms and other living things by composting, aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion or similar processes. It mainly includes kitchen waste, ash, soil, dung and other plant matter. In waste management, it also includes some inorganic materials which can be decomposed by bacteria. Such materials include gypsum and its products such as plasterboard and other simple sulfates which can be decomposed by sulfate reducing bacteria to yield hydrogen sulfide in anaerobic land-fill conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upcycling</span> Recycling waste into products of higher quality

Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or environmental value.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VolunteerMatch</span> Digital non-profit organization

Impact Online, also known as VolunteerMatch, is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization which provides a national digital infrastructure to serve volunteers and nonprofit organization in America. VolunteerMatch was founded in 1998.

Paint is a recyclable item. Latex paint is collected at collection facilities in many countries and shipped to paint-recycling facilities.

Greenpeace USA is the United States affiliate of Greenpeace International, an environmental nonprofit organization that spawned a social movement inspired by direct actions on the high seas to stop whaling and nuclear testing. Headquartered in Washington D.C., Greenpeace U.S.A. operates with an annual budget of approximately $40 million, employing over 500 people in 2020. The organization relies on donations from members, refuses corporate contributions and refrains from endorsing political candidates, though in 2020 Greenpeace USA issued climate scorecards for presidential candidates and ranked them from best to worst on climate

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freegle</span>

Freegle is a UK organisation that aims to increase reuse and reduce landfill by offering a free Internet-based service where people can give away and ask for things that would otherwise be thrown away.

Kashless.org was a Seattle, Washington-based web marketplace where everything was free. Kashless provided a platform to find and redistribute any used or unwanted items, with the goal of reducing users' carbon footprint by consuming less. Another goal was to reduce the amount of matter going to landfills. Initially launched in the Puget Sound area of Washington in February 2009, Kashless was offered to many local communities in over 40 states and territories of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunnyvale Town Center</span>

Sunnyvale Town Center was a two-level shopping mall located in Sunnyvale, California, USA. It opened in 1979 on the site of much of the city's downtown, and was anchored by Macy's, Montgomery Ward, and later, J.C. Penney. Target moved in when Montgomery Ward closed. By the early 2000s, the mall had failed financially and only the Target and Macy's stores remained open. Work on a mixed-use development to replace the mall was stalled by a legal dispute from 2009 to 2015, with most buildings incomplete, but resumed after the city reached an agreement with new developers in mid-2016. By the end of 2020, a multi-screen movie theater and a supermarket had been built and opened in addition to most of the residential buildings; as of January 2021, replacement plans were going forward for a group of lots including the site of Macy's, which closed in 2019. Much of the area has now been rebranded as CityLine Sunnyvale.

RREUSE is an international nonprofit network that links social enterprises active in the environmental field of reuse, repair, and recycling. Its main focus areas are environmental protection, social equity, and economic viability.

Sustainable Materials Management is a systemic approach to using and reusing materials more productively over their entire lifecycles. It represents a change in how a society thinks about the use of natural resources and environmental protection. By looking at a product's entire lifecycle new opportunities can be found to reduce environmental impacts, conserve resources, and reduce costs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 California Proposition 67</span>

Proposition 67 was a California ballot proposition on the November 8, 2016 ballot. A "Yes" vote was to approve, and a "No" vote to reject, a statute that prohibits grocery and other stores from providing customers single–use plastic or paper carryout bags but permits the sale of recycled paper bags and reusable bags for a fee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Osgood</span> British church leader, author and director

Hugh James Osgood is a British church leader, author, and director. He was appointed Moderator of the Free Churches Group on 17 September 2014, following the resignation of Michael Heaney, and was the first President to serve for successive terms. He was also the Free Churches President of Churches Together in England, and is the co-convenor of the UK Charismatic and Pentecostal Leaders’ Conference, and founding President of Churches in Communities International. He is largely known for his work on racial justice, social cohesion and supporting African Christianity in the United Kingdom.

References

  1. ↑ "Background - FreecycleFAQ". Wiki.freecycle.org. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  2. ↑ "The Freecycle Network". Archived from the original on 2011-04-23. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
  3. ↑ "The Freecycle Network". Freecycle.org. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  4. ↑ "Leadership - FreecycleFAQ". Wiki.freecycle.org. 2016-02-04. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  5. ↑ "The Freecycle Network". Archived from the original on 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
  6. ↑ "Freecycle UK" is registered under charity number 1118148 [ permanent dead link ] and its registration refers to uk.freecycle.org as its official website address.
  7. ↑ Shah, Dhavan V; Nelson, Michelle R; Friedland, L.; Nelson, M. R. (2007). The politics of consumption/the consumption of politics. American Academy of Political and Social Science. Vol. 611. Sage, cop. p. 6. doi:10.1177/0002716207299647. ISBN   978-1-4129-5934-6. S2CID   144677793. Nelson, Rademacher, and Paek explore the underpinnings of sharing and civic identity through a case study of consumers in a second-order, online consumption community: Freecycle.org. Results show that these individuals hold downshifting attitudes (favor less work and less consumption). Yet the downshifting does not necessarily mean increased civic engagement in a traditional sense. Rather, political and civic engagement for this group included political consumption and digital forms of political participation.{{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  8. ↑ "The Freecycle Network". Archived from the original on 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
  9. ↑ Angel, Wendy (1 March 2005). "Free and Fabulous". WasteAge. Retrieved 29 December 2007.
  10. ↑ "The Freecycle Network - Notation of Total Countries of Activity". The Freecycle Network. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
  11. ↑ "The Freecycle Network - History & Background Information". The Freecycle Network. Archived from the original on 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
  12. ↑ "United States". The Freecycle Network. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
  13. ↑ "Guidelines and Disclaime". The Freecycle Network. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
  14. ↑ "The Freecycle Network". Archived from the original on 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
  15. ↑ The Freecycle Network Tops Two Million Member Mark Today!, Press release
  16. ↑ Jeffery, Yvonne; Barclay, Liz; Grosvenor, Michael (2008). Green Living For Dummies. For Dummies. p. 329. ISBN   978-0-470-22742-8.
  17. ↑ "The Freecycle Network". Freecycle.org. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  18. ↑ "The Freecycle Network". Freecycle.org. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  19. ↑ FreecycleSunnyvale (18 January 2006). "Notice of Opposition" (PDF). Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, USPTO: Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, USPTO. ESTTA62464. Retrieved 29 December 2007.
  20. ↑ FreecycleSunnyvale v. The Freecycle Network, C06-00324CW ( United States District Court for the Northern District of California 2006).
  21. ↑ The Freecycle Network, Inc. v. Oey, CV 06-173 (CV-06-00173-RCC) , 5( United States District Court for the District of Arizona May 11, 2006).
  22. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2007-11-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  23. ↑ Close. "Good-Doer Attacks a Yahoo Group :: Notices :: Lumen". Chillingeffects.org. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  24. ↑ http://volokh.com/files/freecyclelemleybrief.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  25. ↑ http://volokh.com/files/freecyclepostbrief.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  26. ↑ "The Freecycle Network v Oey" (PDF). UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  27. ↑ "With Naked Trademark Licensing, the Freecycle Network is Left Bare - Wiley Rein LLP". Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  28. ↑ "FreecycleSunnyvale v. Freecycle Network, 626 F.3d 509 –". Courtlistener.com. Archived from the original on 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  29. ↑ "TESS -- Error".
  30. ↑ "TESS -- Error".
  31. ↑ "Arizona Corporation Commission eCorp". Ecorp.azcc.gov. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  32. ↑ UK Freecycle moderators break away from US network The Guardian, September 10, 2009
  33. ↑ "Moderator Manual:Mod dos - FreecycleFAQ". Wiki.freecycle.org. 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  34. ↑ http://www.ilovefreegle.org/about/history.php Freegle History
  35. ↑ Ian Johnston (19 Sep 2009). "Freecycle in bitter split between the majority of UK moderators who remained with Freecycle and those who left to Freegle; Freecycle, the giveaway movement that helps internet users swap things they no longer want, has split with hundreds of thousands of UK members who have joined a rival group". The Telegraph.
  36. ↑ Jones, Sam (12 October 2009). "Accusations of very tight control split UK recycling network from US parent: 'Overbearing input' from the States stops British groups making their own decisions, say volunteers". The Observer.
  37. ↑ From Freegle and Freecycle websites, posted figures without independent checking or distinction between active and inactive members; for example 23 April 2012, Freegle Camden South (in London NW1), 4,951 members; Freegle Kentish Town (in London NW1), 6,734 members; Freecycle Camden South, 8,663 members; Freecycle Kentish Town, 12,805 members. There is no information on people belonging to both organisations, or long-standing but inactive members of the older organisation.
  38. ↑ "Freecycle.org UK". Uk.freecycle.org. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  39. ↑ "The Freecycle Network, Full Filing - Nonprofit Explorer". 9 May 2013.
  40. ↑ "Freecycle: Form 990".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.