Freecycle Guildford & Reuse Guide
Reuse options in and around Guildford, including Freecycle & charity shops
Welcome to our complete guide on Freecycle Guildford and other routes to give away and find nice things for free in and around Guildford. We cover how to join and use Freecycle Guildford as well as other trusted reuse sites.
1) Freecycle Guildford
Freecycle is an online platform where members can give and receive reusable items free of charge. The site hosts town groups that connect local residents, such as Freecycle Guildford. At last count, Freecycle Guildford had over 35,000 members and is an active online community.
Freecycle can be a little confusing to understand because lots of organisations have picked up the term over the years. All you need to know is that the terms Freecycle.org and The Freecycle Network refer to this platform in particular.
To list or look for an item in Guildford, go to the Guildford Freecycle group page and sign up with just your email address or Facebook. It's free to create an account. Now, you can join the Guildford town group and any other nearby towns if you want. To post a listing about something you want to get rid of, just provide an image and description, as well as any preferences about collection. If you're looking for something specific, create a Wanted listing.
Be aware of some rules when posting on Freecycle:
- Leave politics, spam and money outside the site
- Swaps and trades aren't allowed
- No personal ads (don't post yourself or somebody else)
- Keep it legal (no drugs)
- No animals
2) Trashnothing Guildford
Trashnothing is a platform where listings from different freecycling or reuse sites appear together in one place. Within the site, there are town groups connecting nearby reusers just like Freecycle. Trashnothing's local groups often call themselves by various different names. In this case, Guildford has two local town groups, one called Guildford Recycle For Free (with 6,700 members) and Guildford Freegle (2,300 members).
The process to join and use Trashnothing Guildford is very similar to Freecycle.
3) LoveJunk
LoveJunk is an online marketplace for sustainably disposing of unwanted larger items as well as getting your hands on pre-loved items for free. It works by matching you and your items to collectors who will divert the waste from landfill, or to reusers.
To get rid of something, go to LoveJunk’s homepage and click “Find Your Cheapest Collector”. Follow the instructions to create a free listing which then goes live on the marketplace. You can choose whether to show the listing to waste collectors or individuals looking for bargains. Licensed waste collectors come and take your items away for a fee. Reusers collect items free of charge.
If you want to get free stuff through LoveJunk, make sure you register as a ReUser (also known as JunkLovers) on the site or marketplace app. You can set filters to show items in and around Guildford. Anything that catches your eye, drop a message to the owner and collect for free.
4) Gumtree Guildford Freebies section
Gumtree is a well-known site for classified ads that offers all manner of items and services. Although people normally use Gumtree to buy and sell, it also has a 'Freebies' section where you can apply filters to just see ads in Guildford. Members only post items they're giving away for free here.
It doesn't cost to sign up and you need to have an account before contacting any members about their listings, or making your own. Creating a 'basic' listing is completely free but, if wanted, you can pay various levels of extra charge to boost the visibility of your listing. It's still free to respond to an advert, even if the post was boosted.
To make sure you're finding what you want on Gumtree, they make some recommendations:
- When you narrow your search, don't be TOO specific e.g. 'baby clothes' instead of 'newborn baby clothes'
- Try searching with the word 'free' next to the item you're looking for. Some members list their items outside of the Freebies section
5) Furniturelink Surrey
Furniturelink Surrey is a community-based charity in Guildford selling pre-loved furniture, white goods and small electrical appliances. To donate, your furniture or appliances should be in good reusable condition. Soft furnishings, or items with material, must have fire label attached. Electrical appliances must come with CE marks.
Furniturelink offers a collection service for your reusable items if your address is local to the Guildford warehouse (GU4 7WA). Collection of up to 3 items costs £20, and 4-5 items costs £25.
If you don't have transport, Furniturelink provides a delivery service for items to anywhere within a 50 mile radius of their warehouse. Delivery charges start at £20. Get in touch with the shop for an accurate quote. Or for a fully remote shopping experience, try Furniturelink's profile on eBay.
Furniturelink is open 5 days a week from its shop and warehouse on Merrow Lane. People on universal credit can receive up to 50% off in-store prices. Their address is 2b, Merrow Business Park, Merrow Lane, Guildford GU4 7WA.
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Telephone: 01483 506504
Email address: [email protected]
