We live in a throwaway society.

While many of us like to keep hold of things for future use, others tend to favour clearing out what they see as clutter.

Yet when so many people have so little, and others have more than they need, it seems senseless to throw things away that someone else may benefit from.

Increasing numbers of people are taking positive action to pass on their unwanted items to people who could use them for another purpose.

The internet is a prime tool in this and many organisations, including ilovefreegle.org, are using it to great effect.

Set up in 2009, Freegle is aimed at keeping useable items out of landfill; supporting community groups working in re-use; supporting volunteers working for local Freegle groups; informing the public about environmental matters related to the recycling of unwanted useable goods; and promoting sustainable waste management practices.

Freegle UK is a registered charity and each group is run independently by volunteers, affiliated to Freegle UK.

Spokesman Cat Fletcher explains: “Perfectly useable things get thrown away. This is a way of connecting up unwanted things with people who want those things. It is a clever use of the internet and technology.”

There are currently 370 Freegle groups in the UK, including one in Bradford. Vera Scanlon is a moderator of the Bradford Freegle site.

Recycling is a passion for the 62-year-old from Woodside, who was doing it long before the internet came along.

Vera loves scouring charity shops and throws very little away. Her thriftiness was born out of surviving on little, as many did, in the ‘make do and mend’ era. “I recycle everything. Very little goes in the bin,” she says.

Vera’s introduction to Freegle came through her involvement with Freecycle. She spotted the benefits it could bring, particularly to those struggling on the breadline.

She explains how users have the opportunity of getting items they may need which other people don’t want, for free.

“It’s re-homing and keeping things out of landfill as much as we can,” adds Vera.

The post-Christmas period is an ideal time for people to clear out old things to make way for new items they have accumulated, and the Freegle ethos is not to throw things away.

Freegle encourages its 1.4 million members throughout the UK to post pictures and descriptions of anything (legal) they want to give away, and puts them in touch with people in their area who may want it.

“If you can’t use something, there’s bound to be someone in your area who can. We provide an easy-to-use platform to connect up people and things. Everything is free and all our groups are looked after by local volunteers,” says Cat.

“People even want broken things. There are lots of community groups and other people who are really happy to see a broken toaster or worn out armchair because they like repairing things, or want to teach others those skills. There’s a real groundswell of people in all communities who want to fix things.”

Goods that are beyond their original purpose can also be turned into something new – this is called ‘upcycling’.

Who would have thought an old washing machine drum could transform your home interior as an attractive lamp or table base?

Old house windows needn’t become surplus to requirement either, and could be put to another purpose creating a greenhouse in the garden.

The environmental benefits of re-using old things are endless. It is seen as more environmentally-friendly than recycling, which breaks materials down into elements and uses masses of energy and transport to do so.

It is said that 83 per cent of sofas discarded at UK tips are re-usable. Freegle provides a way to avoid this kind of waste and facilitates the free re-use of about 500 tonnes of goods every month.

“Western society has 12 per cent of the world’s population, but consumes 60 per cent of its resources,” explains Cat.

“Research by Yale says we’re going to run out of raw materials within 50 to 60 years if we carry on at the current level of consumption.”

January is destined to be a busy month with people having a clear-out after Christmas. Sharing stuff on Freegle instead of putting it in the bin is beneficial to people, pocket and planet.

l For more information, visit ilovefreegle.org.