Meet Liesel Clark and Rebecca Rockefeller, two Bainbridge Island women out to do their part in changing the world. Clark is a filmmaker for National Geographic and NOVA and a regular visitor to Nepal. Rebecca Rockefeller is a Citizen Scientist and Educator, self-proclaimed Backyard Chicken Farmer, Writer and Rock Farmer. These ladies have joined together to start Trash Backwards and Buy Nothing Bainbridge Island.

While not yet a mass movement there is an increasing number of people, locally as well as globally who see the current economic model of buy more/build more as unsustainable. As a replacement this expanding group of friends and neighbors see a way to exchange unneeded things or time and services, for things on offer from others.

Unlike Freecycle, Buynothing has few limits on what can be on offer or in describing what is on offer. Freecycle for example doesn’t allow food exchanges and has limits on,”Asks” nor does it allow lending or borrowing. Instead, using social media, especially Facebook, Buynothing allows for a much more free and liberal exchange and interaction among members.

By providing a forum for members to interact freely exchanges and barters are made without formal meetings but Waterfront Park has been the site for potlucks and exchanges frequently. By posting needs or offers members are able to meet and establish the connections that any community needs to be successful. The cliché about one person’s trash being another’s treasure is fulfilled here.

Another advantage derives from reducing waste and trash in the garbage/recycle stream. This reduces impacts from filled landfills to lowering the carbon footprint by removing discards from the system. As an added benefit you have the realization of knowing what has outlived its usefulness for you has a new, extended life in a new home rather than being dumped and wasted in a lonely spot under heaps of actual trash.

For more information buy nothing site click here For more information on Trash Backwards click here

2 Responses to “Bartering and Recycling- Bainbridge Island Style”

  1. www.newmartbuildersinc.com Says:

    What a relief it is to find someone that actually knows what they’re saying online!

  2. a landscaping company Says:

    It’s hard to locate knowledgeable people on this topic, but you seem like you know what you are writing about! Thanks

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

Leave a Reply

RSS | XHTML | CSS