Regiving

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Regiving is the practice of giving away one's goods to others.[1]

Recycling Concepts
Materials

Regiving differs from straightforward giving in that goods are not acquired specifically for donation. Typically, goods which are surplus to requirements, which have been replaced, an unwanted gift (regifting) or no longer meet the needs of the owner are offered to others for reuse or recycling. Often the motive is explicitly environmental, with regiving fitting in with the reduce, reuse, recycle approach to conserving resources. For others, and especially in its original contexts, the motives are principally charitable.[citation needed]

Regiving differs from reuse in that reuse is usually in the context of no change of ownership. It differs from recycling in that recycling is most often associated with breaking components down and rebuilding into new products.[citation needed]

[edit] Regiving networks

The internet has given new impetus to regiving, and allowed much larger networks to be built at no or minimal cost.[citation needed]

Several regiving networks have organized regiving groups around the world. Networks and directories have been set up by several organizations, whilst the actual business of regiving is carried out in tens of thousands of local groups, some independent and others affiliated or controlled by a wider network.[citation needed]

Most regiving networks depend on forums such as Yahoo Groups as their technology base. Forums are used because they are generally free, extensible, and well understood platforms. Groups can also operate forums independently, so that each group can be run fully by its local moderators without any external involvement, suiting the grassroots nature of regiving.[citation needed]

Example regiving networks

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Chartrand, Sabra (2003-12-08). Patents; How to send an unwanted present on its merry way, online and untouched. New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-02-06. “It is called a regift, and lots of people do it.”

[edit] See also

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Environmental science