The Beauty of A Gift Economy

How lending and giving can help curb our hyperconsumerist lifestyles and reduce waste.

Last summer, I trekked up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. It was incredible to experience nature in such a raw form. The trip served as a great reminder of how powerful nature can be, and how much we need to protect it. Monkeys paraded around our camps, unfazed by us. Wild herbs grew in the high hills, far above what I would’ve imagined. And the stars at night, sleeping above the clouds and light pollution, were the brightest I’ve ever seen.

It was quite intense and as such needed a decent amount of preparation. While I am an avid hiker, I had never done a long backpacking trip before and wasn’t sure I would do any in the future. The problem was that I needed certain gear — a thermal sleeping bag, a camping mat, and a backpack — that I didn’t own.

A simple solution would’ve been to order the cheapest items off Amazon and call it a day. It’s the solution many people would take. But Amazon and cheaply made products are huge ecological disasters that I hate contributing to.

I had already committed to shopping almost entirely secondhand or going without it entirely, and this was no exception. But I didn’t want to buy anything — secondhand or not. I would use my gear for the week and then probably never again, especially since I was getting ready to move overseas. It would create unnecessary clutter, which often causes undue stress.

Instead, I turned to Facebook to solve my problem. Specifically, I turned to the Buy Nothing Project.

What is the Buy Nothing Project?

The Buy Nothing Project was founded in 2013 as a way for communities to come together through gifting, lending, and receiving goods and services. All for free. It was started in Washington State, but has since spread across the world to more than 40 countries. These groups are hosted through Facebook and are usually restricted to geographical areas. This keeps the groups local, manageable, and community-centered to “give where you live.”

At its core, the Buy Nothing Project isn’t designed to be a tool for sustainable living, but that is a convenient by-product. Instead, it’s designed to help those that might be tight on money or looking to get rid of items in a community-focused way. But by doing so, it’s inadvertently causing people to consider alternatives to buying new things and throwing away old ones, which is an environmental, and economical, win all around.

Every time we buy something new, we contribute to a world ecological crisis. The World Bank estimates that the US alone accounts for one-third of total consumption, despite having less than 5% of the world’s population. Most of those products we will only use for a short time before throwing out. Yet, much of our consumer waste doesn’t end up on the shores of our beaches. No, it ends up on the shores of the countries thousands of miles away, where we don’t have to face our actions. Out of sight, out of mind.

Embracing an anti-consumption lifestyle in the name of the environment isn’t something everyone is willing to do. But, embracing an anti-consumption lifestyle in the name of saving money is. And whatever the motivation, getting people to buy less is a huge win for the world around us.

I had stumbled upon this concept by accident one day. I was a part of similar buy/sell groups on Facebook to stick to my commitment to only buy secondhand goods. The Buy Nothing group was recommended and as I explored the concept, I was amazed at how great it really is.

Whether you’re downsizing your home, looking for a specific item, or simply trying to find community, Buy Nothing groups offer a safe place to do so. They are heavily moderated and encourage meeting in public places, not at specific addresses.

With many people already recognizing the impact their consumption habits have on the environment, it’s no wonder these groups are immensely popular. My group in one neighborhood in Brooklyn, for instance, had over 2,500 people. Thousands of people all drawn together for the community of sharing and giving. The group represented all walks of life: different religions, political beliefs, ages, races, and socioeconomic status. None of that matter though. What mattered is that you had something to give and maybe something to gain. And that’s the beauty of a gift economy.

A Rough History of Gift Economies

Gift economies, like Buy Nothing communities, are a way of exchanging goods and services without the guarantee of future rewards. You give something without the expectation of money or another good in exchange.

While anthropologists debate when gift economies were first adopted, they know that it has been practiced throughout history and cultures, with the Kula Exchange being one of the most notable examples. The transactions are based on relationship building rather than currency and trade. The gifts that were exchanged were often held as a collective, sometimes used later as offerings to deities or to other tribes. There was no individual ownership or personal profit from the gifts.

It’s a hard concept for many modern Westerners, who constantly ask “But what’s in it for me?” The early people of Papua New Guinea, the Americas, and many other places that practiced gift economies understood the practicality of it all. By giving gifts, they were growing a community. And community, especially in tribal days, meant safety and security.

But then, a market economy arose, one that sought increased profits at all costs. Individual economic ownership became valued far above shared living. Instead of gifting and lending tools, clothes, and food, we decided we all needed those things personally. This led to an increase in consumption, spurred on ever more by the market that needs to grow to survive. And so the horrible cycle of consumption began.

The Re-Rise of the Gift Economy

Today, gift economies still do exist, but on a much smaller scale. Offering to help someone move, lending flour to your neighbor, and letting your flatmate borrow your car are all small ways the gift economy works. And luckily, larger gift economies are springing up as well, thanks to social media. Couchsurfing, home sharing, and Buy Nothing groups are all prime examples of this.

As my trip to Kilimanjaro approached, I knew I had to figure out a way to get the gear. I had first asked friends, but none had what I needed. So then I turned to my neighbor. I posted a small request in my Buy Nothing Group and within an hour, I had several offers of sleeping bags, mats, and backpacks to choose from. One woman had all three items I needed and happily lent them to me for a couple of weeks.

I hiked up Kilimanjaro with fantastic gear that I would not have been able to afford otherwise. And at the end of my trip, I returned it all to her (after deep cleaning). I got to meet someone interested in similar interests and use something that would otherwise have sat in her closet for those two weeks. I helped foster community building while saving resources. Plus, because it’s all neighborhood-based, it’s easy to commit to. I had to walk a mere three blocks to pick up and drop off what I needed. This in itself is more sustainable, as people aren’t traveling far distances to get things.

It seems like such a simple solution to our overconsumption lifestyles. I have lots of stuff. You have lots of stuff. Sometimes we don’t want or need that stuff. Giving it to thrift stores might do some good, but it also might end up in landfills. Instead, we can give to our neighbors, who will actually use it. That reduces the need for new products, saves carbon, and cuts demand.

While generosity between neighbors is nothing new, using a platform like Facebook streamlines it. It might not be touted as an environmental solution, but reducing your consumption for new products certainly is. So next time you need a specific product, or want to give something away, check out Buy Nothing groups for your area. You might help someone out while doing a great thing for the environment.