Recently, I tested trading-in some of my old books, electronics, DVDs and CDs that were gathering dust on my shelves. I was able to free up some shelf space, and in addition I received some cash and credit (about $400 total). All of these trades went smoothly, the most laborious part was packaging all the items in a box, and shipping them out. Here are the trade-in services I used:

• Amazon Trade-In Store
• Abundatrade
• Crutchfield Electronics Trade-In

Amazon Trade-In Program

With the Amazon Trade-In Store, you can trade in books, DVDs, electronics and video games for an Amazon gift card (i.e. store credit). I received a total of $378.16 in credit for trading in a total of 90 items (75 books, 13 DVDs and 2 videos games). My books ranged in value from $0.25 up to $21 for a book about residential lighting. I received average of $3 per item for my old DVDs and video games.

Amazon pays the costs of shipping your traded items, and also covers the costs of shipping back items that were not accepted. In my case, only one of my books was rejected (due to a damaged cover), and it was sent back to me.

Overall, the Amazon Trade-In Store was quite convenient, but they didn’t accept some of my older books and electronics, and they don’t support CDs, so I started searching for other options…

Abundatrade

I found Abundatrade — this store accepted my CDs for a cash trade, and they also accepted many of the books that Amazon rejected. There are similar services out there (like Spun and SecondSpin) but they didn’t accept as many of my CDs and their valuations were not as good.

At Abundatrade, I traded in 64 CDs for total of $66.91. They didn’t reject any of my CDs, but their trade-in process isn’t as streamlined as Amazon’s, and I had to pay for shipping, which was about $8, so the grand total was $58.91 (or about $1 per CD). I opted to be paid via Paypal, if I had opted for Abundatrade store credit, I would have received a 25% bonus.

Update: Abundatrade just accepted 49 books which were not recognized or valued by the Amazon system for $88.

Crutchfield Electronics Trade-In

Finally, I went to Crutchfield Trade-In to recycle an old notebook computer and a Sony e-reader that were collecting dust in my basement. The notebook was valued at $47.43 and the e-reader was valued at $18.12. It’s been about two weeks, and I’ve yet to receive the store credit at Crutchfield — hopefully it will be processed soon.

Update 10/28/11: My electronics were accepted and I received $58.44 in store credit.

Link: Crutchfield Trade-In

Swap and Share Sites

Remember the 20th century when we were in a consumption frenzy? Terms like swap and share weren’t even on our radar. The economic downturn combined with our fundamental need to connect with others has started a swap and share movement that has been defined as Collaborative Consumption. Businesses are now using the efficiency of the internet and mobile technology to connect people with goods and services through peer-to-peer swap and share sites. The success of share sites such as eBay and etsy proves that, yes, people can be trustworthy and those that aren’t are exposed. If you’re a member of Netflix then you share movies with people across North America and you can even share movie ratings with friends. After seeing the progress of bike share programs in Europe, major cities in the United States are now developing their own bike share programs. Washington D.C. recently launched Capital Bike Share. In a way we are on the verge of returning to the simplistic ideals of community that prevailed in our history. Our colonial ancestors built a community by pooling resources. Now we can do it on a much larger scale.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This video was made by Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers, authors of the book What’s Mine is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption,  in which they explore how companies and organizations are redefining the ways in which goods and services are exchanged, giving consumers more options and more power over how they spend their money. They explain how the movement to swap and share is reaching every facet of consumerism from travel to finance to agriculture. You can read more about collaborative consumption on their website.

Another groundbreaking book on this topic is titled The Mesh: Why the Future of Business is Sharing in which author Lisa Gansky explains how Mesh companies use mobile web and social media to provide people with the goods and services they need at the moment they need them. By encouraging people to build relationships through the sharing of resources, businesses and communities alike can grow in new and more efficient ways. Visit Gansky’s website here, which includes and extensive directory of Mesh companies.

If you’re ready to save some money, get rid of some stuff, and take control of your spending and consuming habits, then get in on the swap and share action. These sites are growing at an exponential rate with many to choose from. Here are 7 swap and share sites that we think are swaptastic.

Groupon

Groupon

If you haven’t yet got your Groupon, you need to. With Groupon you share group discounts with others. Groupon calls it collective buying power. Groupon offers incredible discounts, typically 50-90% off, on all kinds of goods and services including local restaurants and attractions. There are new deals available everyday for businesses in the city in which you live. You can check the site every day or have the daily deals e-mailed to you. When you see a Groupon you want to use you click on it. There needs to be a minimum number of people interested for the deal to activate. But hurry because there is a time limit- usually 2-3 days. Businesses love it because it guarantees a certain amount of customers. People love it because they get incredible savings. You can print your Groupon or have it show up on your mobile device if you’re out and about. You can share Groupon on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks to spread the word about the great savings.

Get your Groupon here.

Freecycle

Freecycle

The idea behind Freecycle can be summed up in their mission statement: “Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.” The beauty of Freecycle is in its’ simplicity. Started by Deron Beal in 2003 as a grassroots operation to provide recycling to local business in Tucson, Freecycle now has thousands of groups all over the world. You just join your local chapter which is moderated by a local volunteer through a Yahoo group. If you have something you need taken off your hands, you post it. See something you need? Contact the person who listed it. No money is exchanged. And no swaps. To keep the crazies away, Freecycle has a 2 strikes and you’re out policy. Though there are no strings attached to taking something, the concept is to share and share alike, so don’t use Freecycle to constantly take and never give. Besides, how much easier can it get to rid yourself of that old couch or giant screen TV than to just have somebody come pick it up?

Find your local Freecycle here.

BookMooch

BookMooch

Browsing a used book store used to be a favorite Saturday afternoon pastime. Part of the charm was imagining who owned the books before you. With online book swaps you can have that charm again and even communicate with the person who owned the book before you. BookMooch is a free book swap site based upon a points system. You gain points by adding books you no longer want to your inventory. You gain more points when you ship the book to a fellow moocher. You can then use your points to get books you want. What’s great about the system is that you don’t have to be matched up with someone to make a swap. BookMooch also supports charities such as libraries and childrens’ organizations. You can help out your favorite charity on BookMooch by contributing your points so they can get books. The only cost is you pay for the shipping of the books you send out. This is typically inexpensive if you ship by USPS media mail. You can also use recycled brown paper grocery bags to wrap your books. The BookMooch site has tips for shipping that save money and materials.

Mooch some books here.

Swap.com

Swap.com

On Swap you can swap books, music, movies, and video games. By listing the items you have along with the items you want, Swap.com then hooks you up with the right people. Many times the swap you’re involved with is a 3-way swap. There is a small fee involved based upon 2 swap fee levels: low value and high value. High value items cost one dollar and include video games for the most recent platforms such as Wii and PS3 and multi-disc movie and music sets. Everything else is a low value item and costs 50 cents. You also pay for shipping. A rating and feedback system helps keep people honest. Swap offers what they call Safe Swap. If after 27 days you still don’t have your item and your swap partner can’t provide proof of shipment, Swap will purchase the item for you and charge your swap partner’s account. The site also offers an online community where you can meet other Swap members, attend swap events, or organize your own swap meet.

Read more about Swap.com here.

thredUP

thredUP

Would you like to get a box of clothes for your kids for 5 bucks? A clothes swap site, thredUP has been designed to accommodate the hectic lives of parents all while saving money at the same time. The cost is 5 dollars plus shipping to receive a box of clothes. In order to receive a box, you must prepare a box. Put together a box of your child’s outgrown, gently used clothing based on size and gender, then list the contents on the site. The recipient pays the shipping. You can even have the post office drop off the box for you, print out the mailing label on the site, then have the post office pick it up for you. You don’t even have to take pictures, which is a plus when you’re giving something away- like thredUP says, it’s really time consuming for busy parents. However, this can be a downside if you’re the recipient of the swap. But thredUP’s golden rule is to only give what you yourself would be willing to receive- no stains, tears, or holes. And if you receive damaged items, you can report it and a staff member will contact you. Once you receive the box you review your swap partner online using stars based on the quality of the items. For an extra 5 bucks a month you can become a Pro member which will give you added perks such as first dibs on boxes and chances to win brand new clothes from sponsored retail stores. thredUP also swaps toys, costumes, and sports and formal wear.

You can thredUP here.

Zipcar

Zipcar

Zipcar is heralded as the car for people who don’t want one. A car share site, Zipcar is currently located in over 50 cities across North America and the UK and can be found at over 100 colleges and universities. Zipcar is a great solution for college students, businesses who want to save money on rental costs, or others who only need a car once in a while. After you fill out the online application and are approved, you’ll receive your Zipcard and can reserve your car for a couple hours or an entire day. With over 30 models to choose from, you can pick the car you want depending on the availability in your city.  Use the Zipcard to unlock your car and return it to the same spot when you’re done. The membership fee varies depending on your city and the type of plan you choose. Gas is included in the membership- though you do need to fill it up when it gets down to a 1/4 tank.

Learn more about Zipcar here.

CabCorner

CabCorner

CabCorner has really- ahem- cornered the market on cab sharing. Using the mobile web, CabCorner connects commuters going in the same direction to share a cab ride in order to share the cost, ease congestion, and reduce the carbon footprint. Currently operating in major cities across the globe, CabCorner uses sponsored retailers and transportation hubs as “Hot Spots” or meet-up sites, such as Starbucks or department stores. These retailers then offer discounts to CabCorner users. This also provides safety as you are never picked up or dropped off at your home or destination- usually a block or two away. You enter in your pick-up and destination addresses and time you need the ride to create or find an existing route. Each portion of the fare is estimated ahead of time to minimize disagreements. You can cancel your ride at any time without penalty if something doesn’t seem right. CabCorner has other important safety tips on its’ web site. People share train and bus rides everyday. This is just another way to share public transportation. And you may even spark a friendship.

Share a cab ride here.

Honorable Mentions

Swapstyle- A free clothing swap site for fashionistas, Swapstyle has been going strong for 7 years.

Couchsurfing- Members share hospitality, connecting travelers with locals in 230 countries.

Kickstarter- Connects artists of various mediums who need funding for their projects with donors who wish to support them.

NeighborGoods- Share your stuff- lend and borrow items with people in your area, such as tools, electronics, lawn supplies, and sporting equipment.

SmartyPig- A free online savings program to save for a specific goal, SmartyPig partners with retailers to give you cash rewards and a competitive interest rate.

MetaEfficient is on vacation. This week, I’ve managed to travel around town and to the beach by bike. I’ve also been reading A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander — this 1200-page tome is good to read in a hammock. I would like to optimize this house and this town, based on their principles.

I’ve been doing a lot of work in the MetaEfficient lab. I thought I would post an update on my experiments and research:

Ultra-Efficient Laundry System

I’ve been assembling an ultra-efficient laundry system. The system makes use of the following elements: a front-loading washer from LG, a centrifugal dryer by Laundry Alternative, a liquid detergent derived from soap nuts, and an indoor drying rack and clothes line.

As you may have read in my washing machine review last month, the LG washer (WM2016C ) is one of the highest rated washers by EnergyStar — it consumes 152 kWh / year, and 4323 gallons of water per year on average. I bought it for about $600. This washer is quiet and has been cleaning my clothes very well. I use cold water, since heating water is the most energy consuming factor in clothes washing (90% of the power consumed).

In place of laundry detergent, I use soap nut liquid concentrate. Soap nuts are the sun-dried fruit of Sapindus Trifoliatus trees in south eastern India. I buy my soap nuts on eBay, they cost about $12 a pound. To make a soap nut concentrate, I boil the nuts on the stove top for about 10 minutes, and put the resulting liquid in a bottle. You can add essential oils at this point for fragrance.

When I’m done washing clothes, I use a centrifugal spin-dryer to dry my clothes further. I bought this dryer for $130. It spins your clothes at 3000 revolutions per minute (RPM). For comparison, my LG washer spins at about 1000 RPM. You have to split your laundry load into a couple of batches to fit them into the dryer. You also have to make sure you balance the clothes inside the machine. When you’ve done this, you turn on the dryer, and it takes about 30 seconds to a minute to extract about 1/2 a cup of water. An electric dryer would take about 30 minutes to do the same thing, and it uses a lot more electricity. The clothes come out almost completely dry. You can hang dry them or put them in a tumble dryer for a few minutes.

I hang my clothes inside on a wooden drying rack and clothes line.

Hyper-Minimalist Electricity

I running a experiment to see how much I can reduce the electric consumption in my home. So far, I’ve reduced it to an average of 20 kilowatt hours per day.

Here are some of things I’ve done:

• Reduced the temperature on my water heater’s thermostat (it’s at 110 degrees)
• Set up the ultra-efficient laundry system
• Finished installing compact fluorescent bulbs
• Installed low-flow faucets and showerheads, reducing hot water use
• Replaced my old TV and computer monitor with LCD displays
• Switched to a laptop as my main computer (with LCD as a external monitor)
• Replaced my old refrigerator with EneryStar model
• Bought an energy efficient stereo system, the Vers Wood iPod Speaker Doc
• Started using power-strips to turn appliances completely off
• Started wearing warm clothes increase, reducing the need for heating
• Used the toaster oven instead of the larger oven where possible

I’ve just ordered these devices:

First Alert Motion Sensing Light Socket

I’m going to use an LED light or Cold Cathode Compact Fluorescent in the these sockets because they can be turned off and on quickly.

Maxxima MLS-10 2 LED AC/DC Occupancy Sensor Light

Order another one of these motion sensor lights. I’m using one of these in the bathroom, so that I don’t have to turn the light on during visits at night – works well.

Turbo-Aire Aerodynamic Fan with Stand

This is a highly efficient fan.

Harvesting Urban Rainwater

I’ve been researching how to harvest rainwater in urban areas. I want to drink rainwater, use it to water my garden, and possibly use it to supplement my household water supply. I’m going to start with a rain barrel, and then probably install a compact rain tank. Here the books I’m currently reading on rainwater:

The Drinking Water Book: How to Eliminate the Most Harmful Toxins from Your Water

Rainwater Collection for the Mechanically Challenged

Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use

Design for Water: Rainwater Harvesting, Stormwater Catchment, and Alternate Water Reuse

The New Create an Oasis With Greywater: Choosing, Building and Using Greywater Systems

Ultra-Efficient Toilet

I’m planning on constructing an innovative green toilet. Flushing toilets, sewer systems and water treatment plants are very inefficient method of disposing of human manure. After much research on this topic, I’ve come to the conclusion that I will have to build my own toilet. It will be a compositing device plus a bidet. The bidet aspect will eliminate toilet paper (air drying will be used instead), and will be more hygienic overall. Because it will be composting, there will be no water involved. I’ll post an update on the project when I’ve progressed further. These are the books I’ve been reading:

The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure

Composting Toilet System Book

Liquid Gold: The Lore and Logic of Using Urine to Grow Plants

The Bidet: Everything There Is to Know from the First and Only Book on the Bidet

This book has misplaced pages and typos, but it’s full of information on bidets.

Here’s the Bidet 200 from BioBidet, which I’m currently using with my flush toilet:

Public Transportation

I’m been poring over the bus routes, subway maps, and train routes of my local area. I’ve found it to be a time-consuming process to the learn all the different routes and timetables. Unfortunately, DC is not one of the cities covered by Google Transit, that would make things a lot easier.

(You may want to skip this paragraph if you don’t live in the DC area). I found out that there’s a shuttle bus that goes from Rosslyn to Georgetown, and there’s now a free “trolley” service that goes from the Alexandria Metro to the Alexandria waterfront. The trolley was actually a bus made to look like old-fashioned trolley. I then used the recently introduced ferry service to travel to the new National Harbor (their website is currently down). I also discovered that Washington DC has a new bike sharing program called SmartBike DC. Another service I heard about but haven’t tried is Arlington’s EnviroCab fleet. They make use of hybrid vehicles, and serve the DC metro area.

I also want avoid air travel. I don’t enjoy flying, and it’s not a sustainable method of travel. My plan is to take trains and buses instead, and when possible, do some long-distance biking. To help in this endeavor, I’ve ordered these books:

This book, All Aboard!: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide, sounds like it will give me an good overview of train travel in U.S. and Canada.

I hope this guide will give me some tips on long-distance biking: The Essential Touring Cyclist: A Complete Guide for the Bicycle Traveler.

Biking and Walking

For urban biking, I purchased the E-Zip 2008 Trailz Hybrid Electric Bike from Wal-Mart for $348, which is about half the price of any other electric bike out there. It will be delivered to my local Wal-Mart for free. I could have bought it from another vendor but it would have been $399 + shipping. I will test this bike and see if it increases my biking range. The specs on the bike say the range is 15 miles in electric assist mode. Obviously the range could be better (the electric bike I’d like to get is an eZee bike), but I hope to be able to travel to Washington DC using this bike (about 25 miles away). I will be attaching my Burley d’lite trailer to the bike, for the purposes of transporting my daughter and other things like groceries. It’s available here.

^{Photo of a Burley d’lite trailer.}

I’ve amassed a collection of bike maps for the DC area, including this map by ADC that shows all the bike trails of the DC area:

I requested some maps from the Virginia and Maryland Departments of Transportation — most states have free bike trail maps available.

I’ve also been attempting to walk long distances to my destinations, but I discovered that many neighborhoods here are not conducive to walking.

Efficient Food

I am experimenting with growing vegetables in self-watering containers. Apparently, the self-watering planters are very helpful when growing vegetables on balconies. Herbs, however, like to dry out between waterings, they like regular pots. I bought my self-watering containers from Gardener’s Supply Company.

I’m also joined a local food co-operative that supplies my family with raw, pasture-fed milk, eggs and other dairy products. The food comes from an Amish farm in Pennsylvania. I’m planning on visiting the local farmer’s market when it opens next month, using my electric bike and trailer.

I’m also growing some vegetables from seed. Here are some self-watering devices I’ve been using:

Some micro-greens starting to sprout in glass self-watering containers.

These seed starters are from Veseys:

^{Compact Plant Trainer from Veseys.}

^{40 Cell Self Watering Seed Propagator from Veseys}

Here are some of the books I’ve been reading in relation to food and growing:

Incredible Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers

How-To Hydroponics

Weed ‘Em and Reap: A Weed Eater Reader

The Untold Story of Milk: Green Pastures, Contented Cows and Raw Dairy Products

In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto

Here’s my newly installed vermicomposting bin, conventional composting bin and rain barrel:

Junk Mail

I’ve been eliminating the junk mail that gets delivered to my house. Using the web site OptOutPreScreen, I printed and sent opt-out letters to various bulk-mailing companies (see the all the letters above).

To remove my name from catalog lists, I used Catalog Choice.

I’ve got a few other long-term building projects in the works, you’ll probably hear about them soon on this site.