Give Your Stuff Away Day - free stuff all over the place 

Free stuff will be available in neighborhoods all over America on September 25, 2010. It’s an event Mike Morone is hoping to establish world-wide twice annually. The event could eventually help millions, while diminishing landfills, reducing clutter, saving municipalities money, and boosting the economy.

Many of us own valuable stuff we just don’t want anymore. But instead of giving it away or selling it, we allow it to clutter our households and businesses. Billions of great items are just wasting away, taking up space.

Wouldn’t it be cool if we could magically shift ownership of this stuff, in one weekend, coast to coast, with zero effort, little time, and at no cost?

Cool happens on September 25, 2010. It’s called Give Your Stuff Away Day and it will work (almost) like magic, as long as we promote the idea and follow common sense procedures.

On September 25th, bring your valuable, but unwanted stuff to your curb. Some guidelines - no trash, recyclables, illegal or dangerous items. No food, drugs, chemicals, or weapons. Just safe, valuable items we would like to donate. Then watch the fun – or better yet, take a walk and find some free stuff you can use.

A few warnings: Give Your Stuff Away Day can get a bit messy, but it’s worth it. Trash hauling expenses could spike that week. But in the long run, fewer items in landfills equate to lower hauling expenses.

Local governments won’t like it – until they understand how beneficial it can be. Last month, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell became the first elected official to understand that. Read about it here:  http://giveyourstuffaway.com/docs/CTProclamation.pdf

Give Your Stuff Away Day is not a government program. Let’s keep it citizen-based, and let the government solve bigger problems.

But let’s also be responsible by:
• informing our local municipalities of our intent to participate
• asking local governments for a waiver to ordinances that might prohibit this activity
• placing at our curbs only items that others could use
• retrieving items not picked up within a couple of days

Want to help?
• Forward this email to family and friends
• Join us on Facebook
• Contact your local government and ask for their endorsements
• Put your stuff out on September 25th

Guidelines:

• Obey local ordinances
• Place ONLY the allowed items on your curb (see below)
• Do NOT put out trash or recyclables on Give Your Stuff Away Day
• Do NOT donate recalled products – for more information, visit www.cpsc.gov/
• Do not put dangerous or illegal items on your curb
• Be careful driving that weekend - many drivers will be frequently stopping
• Be prepared to retrieve what’s left over

Acceptable Items to Donate!

• Appliances
• Computers (with hard drives scrubbed)
• Electronics
• Bicycles
• Sporting Goods
• Toys (nothing with lead paint or dangerous parts)
• Tools (be careful with sharp blades)
• Yard and Garden Equipment
• Tables
• Chairs
• Desks
• Musical Instruments
• Books
• Clothes
• Shoes
• Kitchen Utensils
• Lamps
• Plants, Potted Trees, etc.
• Building Materials
• Other Durable Goods

Prohibited Items:

• Any products recalled by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission: www.cpsc.gov/
• Garbage or Recyclables
• Weapons of any kind
• Dangerous items
• Chemicals of any kind
• Illegal Items
• Food items

To the Left, To the Left...

Throughout the year, on garbage day, think of Beyonce's song “Irreplaceable”. That will remind you to place potentially valuable items you’re discarding to the left of your normal trash. That will make it easier for others to salvage items from your curb year-round. No longer will they have to sort through a pile of garbage to find the salvageable items.

Want to help?

• Join us on Facebook 
• Tell EVERYONE about Give Your Stuff Away Day
• Tell your local media and elected officials about Give Your Stuff Away Day
• Send in your stories, ideas, and photos
• Post your free items on Craig’s List, Freecycle, or the hundreds of similar sites
• Bring unwanted items to goodwill stores
• Year-round, on trash day, place good items to the left of trash, to make it easy for scavengers