Green Living Column: Joining The Buy Nothing Movement

 

PENCINTA ALAM AUGUST 2021

GREEN LIVING COLUMN

JOINING THE ‘BUY NOTHING’ MOVEMENT

By Wong Ee Lynn <wongeelynn@yahoo.com>

 

The Buy Nothing Project is a movement founded by 2 mothers, Rebecca Rockefeller and Liesl Clark, in 2008, due to their growing concern about the environment and their children’s future in an increasingly materialistic world.

 

It soon grew into a global network of community-based groups, often relying on Facebook, to “gift” (i.e. reuse, donate, or repurpose) goods or services to other members of the group. Buy Nothing Groups are usually successful because they are hyper-local. You can find local Buy Nothing Groups for local residents in your particular neighbourhood and district.

 

Here are reasons why you should participate in a sharing economy, either in your local Buy Nothing group, or on another platform:

1.     Too often, we foist our unwanted items on charity bins and thrift stores after decluttering. Your donations, although well-intentioned, may end up sitting in dusty or dirty storerooms for months and years, and new and valuable items can get mixed up with older, poorer quality items and end up damaged or forgotten. Also, many charities, recycling centres, and thrift stores are not able to operate during the pandemic. Some have stopped accepting donations as they are unable to cope. This means that your donations will not be able to be used to help others in the way you hope it would.

2.     Instead of indiscriminately dumping miscellaneous items from your home on a charity, it is much more satisfying to find each item a good home with a new owner who truly needs it. Some members of Buy Nothing groups are social media savvy but economically struggling fresh graduates who need used furniture for their rented rooms, young parents who need children’s clothes and baby items, administrators of welfare homes or organisations that would gladly accept used clothes and household items for refugees and the homeless, and amateur repairmen who would like to have broken electrical appliances and gadgets that they can then try to fix. Being able to match your donations with the most suitable recipients can be very fulfilling and can greatly assist others.

3.     Participating in a sharing economy prevents waste, helps others avoid unnecessary shopping, and stops goods from going to the landfill, whether you are the one “gifting” the item or the one requesting something specific.

4.     Participating in a sharing economy and in Buy Nothing groups is also a more efficient way of recycling and donating, as you may find local DIY-ers and upcyclers who can find a use for your bubble wrap or old rags or plastic bags, and charities and volunteers who work with underprivileged groups who may need your preloved clothes for the homeless, plant pots to set up an urban farm for the needy, and old towels and rags for rescued animals.

5.     Participating in Buy Nothing groups can help you make new friends and connections and find out about events and charitable organisations in your town or neighbourhood.

 

 

HOW TO GET STARTED:

1.     Before you set up a Buy Nothing Group, search online first for groups in your area. Chances are, there already is an existing Buy Nothing group that will meet your needs. Among the more active groups on Facebook are “Buy Nothing Project Klang Valley Official”, “Buy Nothing – Malaysia”, “Buy Nothing Project Klang Valley & PJ”, “Buy Nothing Project Seremban & Negeri Sembilan”, and “Beli Nothing Project Ipoh”.

2.     If there are no Buy Nothing groups in your city or district, consider first if you are able to handle the administrative duties of managing a Facebook group before you set one up. You may need to see if you have friends who are willing to be co-opted to help out as Group Administrators.

3.     If you do set up a Buy Nothing group, have a look at the rules of other Buy Nothing groups and use them as guidelines to prevent conflict, harassment, and inappropriate language or conduct. You will need to be reasonably active on Facebook in order to approve members and posts, deal with complaints and reports, mediate conflicts, and block or ban offenders.

4.     If you join an existing Buy Nothing Group, be sure to observe all group rules, be polite when offering and requesting for items, and use the group’s codes and language, for example, using hashtags like #gifting when offering items, and #ISO when seeking and requesting specific items.

 

GUIDELINES TO POSTING ITEMS YOU WISH TO GIVE AWAY:

 

1.     Post pictures of individual items. If you have 20 books to give away, post photos of each book, and not the picture of a box or pile of assorted books and the request that “one person takes all”. When you post photos of individual items, you increase the chances of your donations going to people who truly want and appreciate them, and your donations go out to a larger number of recipients. Consider this question: What kind of person would actually want a box of books or a jumble of items without looking at what they are requesting for? Chances are, people who agree to take everything really just want a few items in your photo, and will either dump the other items in the waste bin or in a forgotten part of their home. Either way, some of your donations will end up either in a landfill run by the municipal council or a landfill in a hoarder’s home!

2.     Be specific with measurements and conditions of the items you are giving away. You don’t have to write a thesis. “Men’s shoes, average-good condition, leather a bit cracked, size 7” will do. You don’t have to provide a reason why you are giving it away or communicate with the other members any more than you are comfortable with.

3.     Specify that requestors are to collect the item from you themselves. You are not a courier, delivery, or postal service. If you go out of your way to deliver your donations to their new owners, you will very quickly find yourself burnt out and resentful, and the group will not be a fun and positive experience for you anymore. Specify if you are able to hang on to the item and wait for the recipient to collect it, say, after lockdown is lifted.

4.     Set clear rules for who will be your chosen recipient. You may choose to give your item to the most deserving and needy requestor. In that case, specify in your post that you may choose the recipient that you feel is the most deserving and the item will not automatically go to the first requestor. On the other hand, you may decide to simplify matters by offering your items to the first requestor. In that case, set the rule that they have to comment directly on the photo of each item, and that you will not be entertaining private and direct messages unless they have commented on each photo first to request and reserve the item. This makes it fair to the other requestors, so they can see that someone else has requested it first.

5.     Once you have decided on the recipient of each item, let other group members know by changing the caption of the photo to “GIFTED” or “RESERVED”. Some group members may then ask to be put in the “queue”. The first person to ask to be put in the queue will be the next person in line to receive the item if the original requestor changes his/her mind.

 

KEEPING YOURSELF SAFE IN BUY NOTHING GROUPS:

1.     Do not give out your phone number or any more personal information than you are comfortable with disclosing. If you live in an apartment complex or gated community, you can arrange to meet the recipient at the guardhouse instead. Alternatively, choose your workplace or a public place, e.g. a bank or restaurant, that is convenient to you as the meeting point. Trust your instincts – you may feel completely comfortable giving a senior citizen, young mother, or friend-of-a-friend your phone number and home address.

2.     If at any point you no longer feel comfortable about giving an item to a particular recipient, for example, if his or her queries seem excessively personal and intrusive, you can tell them that you don’t wish to answer his or her questions, or you can just leave the questions unanswered and hand over the items without feeling obligated to make conversation or disclose personal information. If the requestor makes you feel so uncomfortable that you change your mind about meeting up and handing over the item, you can inform him or her that you have changed your mind and block him or her on your phone or social media. Such occurrences are very rare, but as public groups tend to attract many types of people, meeting weirdos is a possibility that cannot be dismissed outright. If you are harassed or if the requestor says or does anything inappropriate, you can report him or her to the Buy Nothing group admin to have him / her blocked. Take screenshots of any messages that you may be able to use to support your allegation of harassment or impropriety.

 

WHAT IF I AM NOT ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

1.     You may not feel comfortable joining public groups and meeting up with strangers, or you may prefer to give the items to people you know. In that case, you can create a photo album or post in your own social media account offering your items only to your Friends or Friends-of-Friends. You can also post them in your own Whatsapp groups. Unclaimed items can then be donated to a charity, sent for recycling, or handed over to a friend or family member who is active in Buy Nothing groups and is willing to post on your behalf.

2.     If taking photos of each individual item, writing a caption about it, and responding to messages and requests seem like too much work to you, seek the help of a friend or family member who is active on social media and in Buy Nothing groups to take photos and create posts on your behalf. They may also need to handle the items on your behalf to make collection and delivery easier. Depending on the workload, you may want to give them a small stipend or treat them to a meal for helping you.

 

 

ALTERNATIVES TO BUY NOTHING GROUPS:

1.     You may feel that you are not ready to part with an item that you paid a lot of money for. In that case, the alternative is to sell them on groups offering secondhand and preloved items. These include Facebook groups such as “Used Items For Sale – Malaysia”, “KL Second Hand”, and “Second Hand Market Malaysia”. Be specific and truthful on the condition of the item so that buyers know if they are getting a good price for the item you are offering.

2.     An alternative to buying and selling is to rent items, especially if you have big ticket items that you use infrequently, such as power washers and party costumes. You may need to request the personal information of the person renting from you and a cash deposit in case of loss or damage. This enables you to get a return on investment on expensive items, rent from others items that you use infrequently, avoid unnecessary shopping, and prevent the wastage of resources. Local rental groups (note: NOT property rental) include “Rent Something KL”.