By David J. Widmann

“Use more…waste less!” That’s the motto of the new barter-community web site known as SwitchPlanet.
SwitchPlanet is now open to the public as a beta version (which might explain why the interface is a little less than intuitive). The site facilitates trading DVDs, CDs and video games with an online community of people who create lists of the items they want and the items they wish they had. The currency of SwitchPlanet is known as SwitchBucs, which are equivalent to one US dollar each. When you post an available item, you decide how many SwitchBucs it’s worth. If someone “switches” (the site’s euphemism for purchasing) your item, you can use the SwitchBucs you’ve earned to “switch” things with other users on the site.
While the site is a little clunky and confusing, the philosophy behind SwitchPlanet makes it worth a look at the very least. Espousing the ideas of reducing, reusing and recycling, the site also aims to become a philanthropic hub. The site encourages people who receive an item from a fellow SwitchPlanet user instead of buying a new item to donate a portion of their cash savings to charity.
Photo by Garrulus on Flickr.