I wish I'd known about the Freecycle Network when I was moving out of my last house. I had truckloads of stuff taken away by a junk removal company, some of it perfectly usable (exercise machines purchased in late night fits of insanity, tables, and other items that charities didn't want because they were too big for me to drag out to the driveway). The Freecycle Network is a non-profit grass roots movement with over 4,000 local groups and over 4 million members all over the world. The idea behind it is to keep unwanted belongings out of landfills by offering them up to anyone who might want them. Each local group is moderated by volunteers.

When you search your area, you get a list of nearby local groups. Once you decide which group to join, you're led to that group's Yahoo!Group page. The other side of it, of course, is that you can acquire stuff that's being offered up by other members. I found two groups near where I live, and can't wait to try this out (I've got a diningroom set to give away and want to acquire someone's used bar stool).

Via MakeUseOf.com.