New things without buying: what is the Buy Nothing movement and how it captures people

The Buy Nothing movement, which emerged in the United States in 2013, unites millions of people. There are thousands of groups on Facebook created to share things. Voice of America talked to a resident of Washington, who received almost everything in her house - from a sofa to shampoo - for free.

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“I knew I could get everything from a sofa and coffee table to plates and kitchen utensils without spending anything. These are things that people have already used and that they no longer need,” says Helen Avalon.

Helen is a member of the Buy Nothing movement. She is in a closed Facebook group where members share things with each other, sometimes completely new.

“95% of the things in my house are from this group and other similar communities. They gave me a wonderful TV. They even delivered and installed it for free when I asked for it. In another group they gave me a remote control. Even the table on which the TV sits is not new either,” notes Helen. “I also received a mirror in the group.”

Those who want to donate something post an ad in the group. As a rule, the item goes to the first person to leave a comment. Sometimes administrators call for lotteries.

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“When I needed a lot of furniture, I had notifications turned on. And I was just lucky, I wasn’t always the first to leave a comment, but the author of the ad chose a random winner,” said Helen.

To join the Buy Nothing group of a particular area, you must live within that area. When a group has more than a thousand people, they try to divide it into 2 in order to maintain the feeling of a small community in which everyone knows each other and wants to help.

“As soon as I moved to the area, I caught norovirus. I wrote to the group that I was sick and that I needed medicine, crackers and electrolytes. And that I will pay for everything. In less than an hour I had everything I needed,” says Helen.

The Buy Nothing project was founded in 2013 by two friends from Washington state, Rebenka Rockefeller and Liesel Clark. They were concerned about the problem of excess consumption. Now the movement has more than 7 million participants. The main rule is that sales are prohibited. And you can give almost anything.

“Someone was giving away cucumber pickle. That is, someone had some brine left in a pickle jar and 4 people were vying for it,” says Carolyn Muraskin, administrator and moderator of the Buy Nothing groups.

Group administrators try to reach people with different incomes.

“When I formed the boundaries of the group, I tried to include different types of housing: detached houses, complexes with apartments, and a student community. I tried to cover zones with different economic indicators,” Muraskin explained.

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Carolyn also gave and received many things through the group.

“Most of the toys are from the group. And when my son plays with them enough, we give them away too,” she says.

Now Carolyn is preparing to donate magazines and clothes.

“I usually just leave things on the porch and they take them,” Muraskin explained.

Participants are motivated by the fact that they save and do a good deed by donating things and reducing consumption.

“The fact that people have so many things, used or new, that they are willing to give away is the result of consumer culture,” says sociologist Gael Barguin-Darrigues. — These groups help get rid of the guilt that arises from excessive consumption. When you see people exchanging things and receiving gratitude, it gives you a sense of belonging to a community of good people.”

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