Neighbors Share Clothing, Food and Books to Cut Waste and Strengthen Communities

Neighbors across the United States are increasingly turning to grassroots sharing initiatives — from large clothing swaps to community refrigerators and tiny libraries — to reduce waste, stretch household resources and foster local connections.

Organizers say the events also create informal safety nets for people facing higher costs for essentials while tackling environmental problems tied to disposal and food waste. In Portland, Oregon, a twice-yearly clothing exchange founded 14 years ago now draws between 500 and 850 participants to what organizers call The Biggest Swap in the Northwest. For a $10 entry fee to cover costs, attendees can take unlimited items of gently used clothing, shoes and accessories at no further charge.

The Portland swap began as an effort to keep garments out of landfills and to offer alternatives to fast fashion, said co-founder Cassie Ridgway, who worked in the apparel industry. Volunteers sort donations at stations and distribute items across tables and bins; organizers describe a moment during the event when a mountain of apparel must be processed rapidly. Leftover items are sent to other neighborhood swapping events or donated. Co-founder Elizabeth Mollo said the event has a festive atmosphere, with music and nonalcoholic socializing, and that no dressing rooms are provided so participants try items on over their clothes.

In Richmond, Virginia, community refrigerators have become another visible example of neighbor-to-neighbor sharing. Taylor Scott started the first community fridge in January 2021 after finding herself with more garden produce than she could use. What began as a birthday project outside a cafe grew into RVA Community Fridges. Scott and volunteers now operate 14 refrigerated sites, run farm-to-table education classes, host community cooking days and say they have redistributed more than 520,000 pounds of food that otherwise might have gone to waste.

Scott described donations coming from restaurants, farms and private events. She said sites have become neighborhood gathering spots where people who once relied on the fridges later return as volunteers. "They started out taking and now they’re giving," she said.

The trend toward sharing also encompasses books. Little Free Library, a nonprofit that began in 2010, encourages people to install small, accessible boxes stocked with books at all hours. The organization reports there are now more than 200,000 Little Free Libraries in 128 countries. Chief Executive Officer Daniel Gumnit said the structures are meant to increase access to reading materials and to prompt more interactions among neighbors.

In East Los Angeles, Reyna Macias painted and stocked a Little Free Library with Spanish- and English-language books to serve neighbors whose schedules do not always align with public library hours. Her library is frequented by dog-walkers, schoolchildren and a grandfather who brings his granddaughter daily. Macias said donations have been so plentiful that she now takes a cart of free books to the weekly farmers market.

Organizers and volunteers emphasize dual goals of environmental benefit and social support. Clothing swaps divert textiles from disposal and extend the useful life of garments, while community fridges intercept edible food that would otherwise contribute to food waste, they said. Little Free Libraries provide round-the-clock access that can support literacy and learning at the neighborhood level.

Across these projects, leaders say volunteers shoulder operational work including sorting, maintenance and outreach. The initiatives vary in scale and formality: some charge modest entry fees to cover event costs, others rely on donated infrastructure and in-kind support from businesses and neighbors.

As prices for many goods continue to rise, advocates say hyper-local sharing networks can both lessen household strain and build resilience. Organizers point to repeated, tangible benefits — free clothing and shoes for families, hundreds of thousands of pounds of food redistributed, and everyday access to books — as evidence that grassroots resource sharing can meet immediate needs while reducing environmental impacts associated with waste.