Moving boxes, baby cribs, tupperware, turmeric. Now what if I told you these weren’t the lyrics to The Fairly Oddparents™ theme song, but a small sample of the kinds of goods that can be acquired free of charge from your local Buy Nothing group? The most valuable provision of all, however, is community. 

the positive social impact of buy nothing groups

For those that are not familiar with it, the Buy Nothing Project was established in 2013 by two friends, Liesl Clark and Rebecca Rockefeller. After finding an overwhelming amount of waste, debris, and plastic at the intersection of consumerism and individualism, they started the Buy Nothing Project in their local community. Folks could ask for and offer free goods or services with the goal of buying less and sharing more.

Although the founders’ initial purpose was to limit the amount of plastic being produced and ultimately released into the environment, they quickly discovered that their project had an unexpected social effect. In an early video documenting the beginnings of the Buy Nothing Project, one of the founders remarks that she was suddenly meeting many of her neighbors for the first time, despite having lived there for years. Today, the Buy Nothing Project has fully embraced their role and impact on community building. Their website states in large bold text, “we exist to build resilient communities where our true wealth is the connections forged between neighbors,” and it couldn’t be more true.

how buy nothing helps you meet your neighbors

I learned about Buy Nothing from a friend last year. She was showing off a new (to her) pair of sunglasses and introduced me to the world of gift economy. I had no idea that what started as a cheapskate’s wet dream would become my ladder out of a depressive episode. Having lived with depression for most of my life, at the time exacerbated by family illness and death, and amplified by that lingering post-pandemic conditioning to isolate, I found myself hidden away from the world.

Buy Nothing became my reason to leave the house, the destination of my mental health walk, and my portal back into the world. The stakes were low, but I had to hold myself accountable, or I would tarnish my reliability as a community member. I got to meet some of my neighbors, sardines in the can next door, folks I live within blocks of but never would have met. And it’s apparent that I’m not the only one that values the community we are continuously building.

In Buy Nothing, people organize community events, make gratitude posts for the treasures they received, and come together to assemble entire apartments-worth of furniture for community members in need. Plenty of folks write goodbye posts when they move away, not to ask for or offer anything other than a message to their community. 

To join your local Buy Nothing group, you can create a profile on their website, download their app, or search for your community’s Facebook group. If you aren’t sure which neighborhood you belong to, just enter your cross street and the admins will help direct you if you’ve landed in the wrong group. If you choose to participate, welcome.

Logan Kim, is a queer, non-binary, Asian-American Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. They work with individuals and couples from a relational and social justice-oriented approach. Logan is particularly passionate about their work with queer and trans clients, exploring issues around identity, relationships, and the implications of existing in a cisheteronormative society.

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