Environment-conscious Sarah Benson has set up a website that allows people to pass on unwanted items to others who need them.

Devizes Freegle is free and Ms Benson, of Market Lavington, said it would stop unwanted items that are still usable from going to waste disposal sites.

Ms Benson, who used to work in southern Africa as a geographic information systems consultant, said: “Freegle is there for people who have something they no longer need but still works and they don’t how to get rid of it.

“For example, you may be upgrading your fridge and you have no other option but to take it to a council tip.

“Landfill tax is now £73 a tonne and set to rise to £80 in 2014. This is paid partly out of our council tax, so it’s in everyone’s interests to send as little as possible to landfill.

“There’s a very wide range of items that are offered on Freegle, such as scraps of wool, and people can also ask for things they want. This could be people needing a new toaster because theirs is broken or wanting wood to make up raised beds.”

Ms Benson has herself benefited from items from other Freegle sites including a sofa, plant propagator, plants, picture frames and a cage for her ferrets.

Examples of items on the Devizes Freegle website include a HP laser jet printer, being offered because the owner’s new computer is not compatible with it, and a baby car seat.

Freegle is the British equivalent of Freecycle, an American recycling scheme, and there are a number of groups in the UK.

Freegle is a registered charity, completely volunteer run and does not get any funding, relying on donations.

To use the site people have to become a member, which is free and they can leave at any time. The only thing that Devizes Freegle does not allow to be advertised is animals.

Ms Benson is the only volunteer at Devizes Freegle and it takes up to three to four hours of her time a week. Other volunteers would be welcome.

For more information, go to the website www.freegle .in/devizes Anyone who would like to become a volunteer can email freegleindevizes@ yahoo.co.uk