SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today yerdle launched its web and mobile platform enabling people to give, get, and loan things among their friends. Asking the question, why shop when you can share?, yerdle.com opened its doors to the public on the biggest shopping day of the year in the U.S., Black Friday, to offer would-be shoppers an opportunity to avoid wasting money and resources on items that can be had for free from their friends. yerdle is opening its doors with 10,000 free items given by friends, for friends.

yerdle's platform, including a website built on Facebook's social graph, an iPhone app and a series of community events, allows friends to easily connect for sharing transactions, taking advantage of a new generation of technology. yerdle also enables new points of connection between friends, neighbors and coworkers, building community one item at a time.

Co-founded by Adam Werbach, former President of the Sierra Club and Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi S, Andy Ruben, former Chief Sustainability Officer and head of Global Strategy at Walmart, and Carl Tashian from the founding team of Zipcar, yerdle was created to offer a sharing marketplace that provides an easy way to reduce consumer waste associated with buying items new. With Americans throwing away an astounding 31 million tons of plastic each year, packaging for new gifts over the holidays will clutter even the neatest home. yerdle's mission is to reduce 20% of the things people buy through sharing, collectively protecting precious ecological resources.

"We built yerdle to create a new way of getting the things you need that doesn't create more waste," said Co-founder Adam Werbach. "If you need a tent, a circular saw, kids soccer cleats, or thousands of other items that you only use sporadically, try sharing through yerdle. Saving money doesn't suck."

U.S. consumers currently spend nearly $50 billion dollars every year on Black Friday alone, according to the National Retail Federation. yerdle is challenging people this holiday season to pledge to join the largest ever Black Friday giving spree, today on November 23rd, to share instead of shop.

"Our closets, trunks and self-storage units form the world's largest warehouse," said Co-Founder Andy Ruben. "According to the Self Storage Association, there has been a 1000% growth in square footage in the past 30 years. We're building software and logistics systems for yerdle that will make it as easier to borrow from a friend as it is to buy something new and store it," said Ruben.

"The holidays should be about spending time with the people you love and giving them gifts," said Werbach. "For anyone who is sick of the crowds and the over-packaging and the cheap plastic toys, we're hoping to provide an authentic way to celebrate the season."

About yerdle

yerdle is a new mobile and web platform that enables people to share things with their friends for free.  People post items that they're willing to give away or loan to their friends, and then friends nab the things they want. Simple. yerdle was founded by Adam Werbach, author of Strategy for Sustainability, Andy Ruben, Former Chief Sustainability Officer at Walmart and Carl Tashian from the founding team of Zipcar. The California Benefit Corporation is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit www.yerdle.com.

SOURCE yerdle