You can remove your item from the site in a few easy steps.

• Find your item on the site and select the item name.
• On the next screen you will see your items details, at the bottom of that page there is a "Status" section. By selecting the appropriate outcome of your advert you can remove the item from the site.
• All of the options will take the advert off the site except the option "live, my item is still available"

Searching the site for an item is really easy. You can type the item you are looking for in the search bar at the top of the page, or you can use the search bar to look for an item by category or location.

Freeuse is the right place to come. We have a step by step guide on our "Give" page, follow the link to view the simple steps to placing an advert and having your item freeused.

Freeuse is run by the Leicestershire Waste Partnership, it was started by North West Leicestershire in July 2008 and has since been expanded to the whole of Leicestershire and Leicester City. For more information follow this link to the "About Freeuse" page.

 You do not need to register if you want to take an item.

The original freeuse site involved no login process but it was limited in what it could offer the user. A very short and simple registration process increases the security for the user, makes the site more productive, and keeps the site as easy to use as possible.

It really helps find a new home for your item. If users can see the items they are more likely to want to take your item. It is really easy to put a picture on your advert and we can accept almost all types of photo.

Placing a ‘wanted' advert is the same as a ‘Give' advert. You can start by selecting the ‘wanted items' section of the sites, then ‘add item' at the top of the page. It is then a simple form with the details of what you require.

When it comes to choosing who to give your item to there are a number of ways you can decided:

• First come first served – you can choose the first person that contacts you. Remember this can be by email or phone (if you have given your phone number)
• Nicest email / phone message – you can base your choice on your reading of the emails you receive by picking the one that appeals to you most.
• Person nearest to you – you can choose the person that lives the nearest to you.

At the end of the day how you choose who to give your item to is up to you. There is no right or wrong way other than possibly you need to feel comfortable with how you have come to your decision.

In order to calculate how many tonnes of items are reused via the Freeuse website we use what is called the "FRN Average Weights List".

The FRN (Furniture Reuse Network) is the national body which supports assists and develops charitable reuse organisations across the UK.

Through research they have developed the FRN Average Weights List which is used nationally to calculate the tonnes of reuse that takes place.

The list includes the average weights for a wide range of items from furniture, to soft furnishings, bedding, bathroom items, DIY and electrical items etc. This list is updated every few years to keep it current and to improve the accuracy of the figures.

Where an item offered on Freeuse is not on the list we seek to find the weight of the item by searching the internet. We then create custom weights for these items.

The results of these methods are used to assign what weight individual users have achieved by offering items on Freeuse.

So the weight displayed on the Freeuse site is not exact but it is the best available estimate of the weight of items the site has saved from going to landfill.

We want you to get the most from using Freeuse and following feedback from a user survey we conducted in August 2012 we have developed the following list of tips which we hope will help our Freeusers to do just this.

Using a photo

A picture says a 1,000 words and it's also quicker.

On average items that are offered with a photo get taken 4 days quicker that those without a photo (based on results from Dec 2009 to Oct 2012).

So if you can, do include a photo of your item. It is quite easy to upload and if you use our mobile app (for iPhone and Android) it's even easier.

Better Descriptions

The more information you can provide about the item you have offered the more likely it is going to be taken and the less likely you are going to have to deal with "time wasters". If you can include details of colour, dimensions, condition etc. This is especially the case if you have not provided a photo.

Most things can be offered on Freeuse. The phrase one person's junk is another person's treasure has never been truer considering the mix or items that have found a new home on Freeuse. We have had an amazing selection of items from soil, to pianos, to CD cases, to a dingy.

However, we have a responsibility to ensure that Freeuse complies with appropriate laws and regulations and there are a number of items which are not permitted to be posted on Freeuse. These are as follows:

• Tobacco
• Alcohol
• Pornographic or adult material
• Live animals or pets
• Offensive materials
• Drugs, whether prescription or controlled
• Food products
• Hazardous materials
• Goods intending to encourage illegal acts
• Fireworks and Explosives
• Weapons
• Solvents and Glue

Please view the terms and conditions for full details.

Yes. We often have users who place adverts on the site for friends or relatives who do not have a computer. This is easily done and means that you can still place and advert without a computer.

We also recommend using the local library. There are plenty of computers available and staff that can help you get started, that way you are more in control of what you place on the site.

We have been made aware that traders sometimes use Freeuse. These are people who may have a business that involves the buying and selling of items or someone who regularly goes to car boot sales for example.

We cannot stop traders using the site, however; we appreciate that some users may not wish to give their item to someone who is then going to sell it. So, if you do not wish to give your item to a trader then you should take steps to check if the person you are offering your item to is a trader. You could ask them why they what your item or what they are planning to do with it. Of course they may not tell you the truth so all you can do is trust your gut feelings.