Freegle
{{Short description|UK network for gifting and reusing things}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{also|The Freecycle network}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Freegle
| image = Freegle.gif
| image_border =
| size = 120
| alt =
| caption = Freegle logo
| abbreviation =
| formation = {{Start date|2009|9|11|df=yes}}
| extinction =
| type = Network of Communities
| status = Registered society
| purpose = Reuse
| region_served = United Kingdom
| membership = 2,608,461
| language = English
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
| main_organ =
| parent_organization =
| affiliations =
| num_staff =
| num_volunteers = Approx. 1000
| budget = £40,000 per year
| website = {{URL|ilovefreegle.org}}
| remarks =
}}
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.
History
Freegle was formed on 11 September 2009 after many Freecycle groups in the UK decided to break away from the US parent organisation following disagreements on how groups in the UK should operate and the dismissal of long-term UK moderators, who had been speaking out.{{cite news
| url = https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2009/sep/10/uk-freecycle-us-network
| title = UK Freecycle moderators break away from US network
| date = 10 September 2009
| newspaper= The Guardian
| publisher = Guardian Media Group
| location = London
| first = Max
| last = Glaskin
| url = http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/35fd9422-a47d-11de-92d4-00144feabdc0.html
| title = Web recycling groups split
| date = 18 September 2009
| newspaper = Financial Times
| publisher = Pearson plc
| format = Registration required
| location = London}}{{cite news
| url = http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/329180/what_went_wrong_with_freecycle_in_the_uk.html
| title = What went wrong with Freecycle in the UK?
| date = 30 September 2009
| work = The Ecologist
Organisation
Each local Freegle group is run by volunteers, is autonomous and affiliates to the national Freegle Ltd organisation provided they meet basic requirements such as being free to join and everything handed on must be free and legal.{{cite web | title=Group Affiliation Requirements Policy | website=Freegle Wiki | url=https://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/Group_Affiliation_Requirements_Policy | access-date=9 January 2024}} Freegle Limited is a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 and an exempt charity.{{cite web |title=Freegle Limited |url=https://mutuals.fca.org.uk/Search/Society/9593 |accessdate=2025-06-08 |website=Mutuals Public Register |publisher=Financial Conduct Authority}}
Membership numbers
In January 2021, there were 453 groups, supported by about 449 volunteers, with 3,267,715 members in the UK.{{cite web|url=https://www.ilovefreegle.org/stats|title=Freegle|website=ilovefreegle.org/stats}}
Hosting
Freegle groups are hosted on Freegle's own open source platform. A lot of Freegle groups are also accessible via the Trash Nothing website.
Mobile apps
In April 2015 the Freegle mobile app was launched to allow access to Freegle Direct groups on Android, iOS and Kindle phones and tablets.{{cite news
| url = http://cwherald.com/a/archive/new-freegle-app-created-in-eden.441639.html
| title = New Freegle app created in Eden
| date = 24 April 2015
| newspaper= Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
| location = Penrith
}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.ilovefreegle.org/ Official Freegle site]
Category:Recycling organizations