Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is free recycling?
2. Where does all this free stuff come from?
3. How do I join groups on trash nothing?
4. How do I claim the free items I find on trash nothing?
5. How do I offer free items on trash nothing?
6. I can't login / I forgot my password!
7. How can I create a new free recycling group in my community?
8. My existing free recycling groups aren't on trash nothing!
9. Is trash nothing free to use?

What is free recycling?

"Our goal is to find new uses for unwanted items that would otherwise be thrown into the trash. The primary benefit is that it reduces the amount of reusable items that end up in the trash with a secondary benefit of reducing the overall amount of items thrown into landfills. Reusing items not only cuts down on goods in landfills, but also helps reduce the strain on our natural resources by keeping useable items in circulation, reducing the need to manufacture additional goods."

Where does all this free stuff come from?

It's mostly stuff people don't want anymore. The items are usually used, sometimes broken, and sometimes brand-new. The owners offer the items in hopes that someone else will be able to re-use them and save them from ending up in a landfill.

How do I join groups on trash nothing?

First, login to your trash nothing account (or signup if you don't have an account) and go to your My Groups page. From the My Groups page, click on the Add New Group button to see the list of groups you can add.

If you know the name of your group, you can search for it with the search box on the left and select it to add it. Or you can browse the groups by the country and state drop-down menus on the right. The groups in the area you have selected will appear below. Clicking on one of the groups will add it to your account.

When you add a group, a subscription request is automatically sent to the group. Usually the subscription request only takes a few minutes to be processed before your membership is approved and we'll automatically email you once your membership has been approved if you've verified your account.

How do I claim the free items I find on trash nothing?

First, login to your trash nothing account (or signup if you don't have an account) and search for items you want in the free recycling groups in your area.

Once you find an item you want, click on it to view the full details of the offer and then click on the Reply button to contact the person giving away the item. Keep in mind that the person offering the item may hear from multiple people who want the item, so you might not always get the item.

If the offerer picks you, you and the offerer will arrange a time and place for you to pickup the item. Usually, you pickup the item at or near the offerer's residence.

How do I offer free items on trash nothing?

First, login and view the posts on the group you want to post an offer to. Then just click on the New Post button and fill out and submit the form detailing what you are offering.

After submitting your item, it will appear on the group once the group moderators approve it (this can take anywhere from a few minutes or a couple of days depending on how alert the group's moderators are).

Once your item appears, you will hopefully start getting emails from people who want your item. As the offerer, you get to decide which person to give the item to. Usually, the first person who replies to an offer gets it.

After you decide who will get the item, you should arrange a time and place for them to pickup the item. Usually, your residence or a place nearby is chosen.

I can't login / I forgot my password!

Are you already a member of a free recycling group on Yahoo! Groups like Freeshare or ReUseIt? You'll still need to sign up before you can access your group on trash nothing!

If you are sure you have an account, contact us for help and we can reset your password for you.

How can I create a new free recycling group in my community?

Currently, trash nothing only supports free recycling groups hosted on Yahoo! Groups. So first, create a new Yahoo! Group (requires a Yahoo! account). When setting up your group, make sure your group is an open group so that anyone can join. Once you've created a group, send us a link to your group and we'll add it to trash nothing!

My existing free recycling groups aren't on trash nothing!

Sadly, we don't support every free recycling group that exists (yet). But if you let us know which group you want to see on trash nothing we'll try our best to get it on the site.

Is trash nothing free to use?

Yep, we make money from ads shown on the site so you don't have to pay anything to use trash nothing!