The idea for Groupcycle came about when our founders, parents of two young children, went to great lengths to try to donate furniture and items their children had outgrown. The drove to one Goodwill and were told that toys weren’t being accepted. They drove to another Goodwill and were told that toys were accepted but bulky items were not. They then visited Salvation Army’s website and discovered that Salvation Army accepts furniture and bulkier items but do not do pick ups at their zip code. They tried to give away items to their friends, but there were still strollers, playpens, toy kitchens and princess castles, and much more that needed a new home. There were also items that had sentimental value, like their daughter’s beautiful princess dresses, that they would rather give to someone that they knew would treasure them.

As passionate environmentalists on a mission to generate as little waste as possible in their everyday lives, they tried hard to avoid using plastic bags and zip lock bags every chance they could. Yet, as their children grew, they realized they had a small storage room full of items that were destined for the landfills. Most of the items were in good condition and could be sold instead of donated. They thought about offering the items through general-public classified sites, but the prospect of meeting up with strangers regularly to deliver the items was a bit unsettling. Some of the items, like the bunk bed, would have required the buyer to enter their home.

They started asking if their kids’ friends’ parents needed certain items, like the newly outgrown 20” bicycle, and the idea of Groupcycle was born. Instead of asking a few friends, they can now offer the items to their kids’ school, a community of over 900 families. They can now even charge a small fee for certain items, like $20 for a $100 bike, with the proceeds going to their tween daughter.