In a nutshell:

BuyNothing offers people a way to give and receive, share, lend, and express gratitude through a worldwide gift economy network in which the true wealth is the web of connections formed between people. We believe that communities are more resilient, sustainable, equitable, and joyful when they have functional gift economies.

Principles:

• We believe our hyper-local groups strengthen the social fabric of their communities, and ensure the health and vitality of each member.
• We come from a place of abundance ~ not scarcity.
• We believe in abundance, we give, we ask, we share, we lend and we express gratitude.
• We are a gift economy, not a charity. We see no difference between want and need, waste and treasure.
• We do not buy, sell, trade, barter, or otherwise exchange money for items or services.
• We measure wealth by the personal connections made and trust between people.
• We value people and their stories and narratives above the ‘stuff.’
• We are inclusive at our core.
• We value honesty and integrity in all our interactions.
• We view all gifts as equal; the human connection is the value.
• We believe every community has the same wealth of generosity and abundance.