The goal is to Buy Nothing and meet neighbours

This 6-part series explores Canada’s shadow markets – from cash-only home repairs and community “gift exchanges” to ticket reselling and underground entertainment. Through diverse perspectives, our journalists examine why Canadians participate in these alternative systems, the benefits they provide, and the challenges they create, while authorities balance enforcement with education.

By SOFIA MOHAMED and JEAH DIÑO

The sun was shining, the skies were clear, and I was in a good mood. I was on my way to pick up my latest find, a watering can shaped like a duck. The red beak had a hidden spout where the water would stream out. The best part? It was all for the low price of free.

I found my duck on the community Buy Nothing, a Facebook group where people could “gift” items for free.

The cofounder of the Buy Nothing Project, Liesl Clark, told the Seattle Times in 2017 that she was inspired by the “gift economy” she encountered in villages in Nepal.

A gift economy is a system where goods or valuables are exchanged with no expectations with the aim of building community relationships. As of today, the Buy Nothing site states that they have 7.5 million community members and 128,000 communities around the world.

Aside from community building, Buy Nothing groups are a great way to practice sustainability. Oakley Kang, a UBC forestry graduate, said she prefers to use Buy Nothing for eco-friendly reasons.

“This is a topic I’m very passionate about because my whole major was about sustainability and circular economies,” Kang said. “This is the perfect example of something that’s a closed system for goods and services.”

She uses the group primarily for giving stuff away as she finds it too difficult to get items on the forum.

“It’s trickier because there’s more competition. When someone posts something, it gets taken almost immediately,” Kang said.

Since Buy Nothing groups are restricted to people in the neighbourhood, she finds that it can foster building communities in Vancouver.

“This one time I gave my pan away on the group. The next morning, he sent me a picture of him making a pancake with it for his kid, and it gave me so much joy to give him joy,” Kang said.

Like Kang, Kieran Ray-Daniels likes the community aspect of Buy Nothing.

“It’s more personal than Facebook Marketplace. You see the same people posting, and it’s all like-minded people who also want to reduce waste and save money,” they said.

While Ray-Daniels managed to get a vacuum and a rice cooker off the group, they find that most of the stuff posted on the group is “worthless.”

“People will use it when they’re too lazy to go to the dump. Like only the lid of their blender, which could be useful, but I think there’s a very low chance you’ll find someone who would need just that,” Ray-Daniels said. “I also see posts of opened or expired food and used cosmetics.”

Ray-Daniels said that Buy Nothing has affected their spending habits, and they often look to the group and second-hand markets first before purchasing new items.

“I find it encourages more of a philanthropic attitude. If I don’t need something, I don’t necessarily have to make money off it,” said Ray-Daniels. “I can just be a good Samaritan and give it to someone who needs it.”

While they enjoy using Buy Nothing, they don’t see it as a “valid alternative economic system.”

“There’s a reason we changed from a barter economy in the first place. But I do think there’s still a space for it in communities in our day-to-day lives,” Ray-Daniels said.

The Buy Nothing system isn’t without its flaws. The informality can cause ghosting, or miscommunication, as Ahmed Shaaban found out. He tried to give away a pair of soccer cleats and got stood up at the UBC McDonald’s.

“There’s no real incentive to show up when there’s no money involved,” he said. “There’s no assurance, so you just don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

When Shaaban and his partner first moved into their shared home, they were like many young couples just starting out – trying to be more “resourceful” with their purchases. The pair began furnishing their space with secondhand goods and eventually found a local Buy Nothing group.

“A lot of people don’t have the means to buy new things. So I think [Buy Nothing] is great,” Shaaban said.

The experience changed the couple’s approach to spending. Instead of viewing everything as something to be bought brand new, they started to see value in secondhand items—and even made a small profit when they moved out by reselling or “regifting” what they no longer needed.

As their financial situation improved, their participation in Buy Nothing groups faded.

“If I have to drive 30 minutes to get a $40 fidget cube now, I’d probably just buy it online and have it delivered,” he said. “It becomes a question of hassle versus convenience.”

Still, some offers are worth the effort. When his partner’s coworker offered a $600 standing desk for free, Shaaban rented a U-Haul and picked it up himself.

“We still use it. Haven’t made it stand once. But hey—it was free,” Shaaban said.

 Even though Shabaan doesn’t use Buy Nothing groups anymore, he still believes in the model.

“It connects people who don’t want to throw things away with people who need things. That’s less waste in the world,” he said. “If there’s a market for it, it should exist.”