Besides snack time, naptime and the enormous amounts of playtime what’s one thing you miss from your toddler years? The joy of trading, of course! Well two brothers are bringing it back along with the idea of “Freecycling” and “Freegifting” (as a college student, don’t you just love the word free!?) with their new initiative, the Trading Post. Imagine trading last season’s sweater for the entire season of the OC. So make it happen! Read HC’s conversation with one of the founding brothers, Sophomore Zach, to find out how you can get involved! Also, don’t forget to check out the Trading Posts T-shirt swap outside the DUC next week! Stay tuned for further details.
HC: So what exactly is the Trading Post?
ZH: The Trading Post will be a student run establishment where anyone in the WashU community can trade items and ideas for free. Similar to a thrift store, we are taking items that people no longer want, need, or have use for but instead of buying, people can take anything they want in return of a trade. The idea is called “Freecycling” and also “Freegifting.” There’s a big sustainability aspect to it, but we also want to promote the idea of repurposing items, instead of having them go to waste. In this way we prevent the need for buying new items. It’s like a kind of alternative consumption. In the future we hope to have an online component as well ,so students know what’s in store currently.
HC: What is “Freecycling?”
ZH:Freecycling is primarily online. Think of it as a Craig’s List, but people are willing to do it for free. There are some all over the country and St. Louis has one!
HC: How did you get this idea?
ZH:My older brother, Thomas, heard about this idea and he really wanted to push for it on campus. I’m studying Environmental Policy and I’m in the pathfinder program here and I’m a sophomore. Since my brother’s graduating next semester, I’m a great candidate for a joint position, and I was more than happy to take this on.
HC: That’s great! When did you two start putting this into action?
ZH:We started this summer brainstorming, strategizing, and we realized we needed a core group to see this through. Fortunately we were connected to enough people and we currently have 20 people on our team. We met a lot of people through the Defining Sustainability Activities Fair and the general Activities Fair this semester (they were the group with the table of all vintage-y looking items that they got from garage sales for dirt cheap).
HC: Are you looking for more volunteers?
ZH:Absolutely! All we ask of members is to read over mission statement, goals, and community guidelines. We basically run the honor system. If you want to get involved with the program or hear more about it, email me! (Zacharyahernandez@gmail.com)
HC: Are you looking to pair with any other groups on campus?
ZH:Definitely. We’re applying for the student sustainability fund and STEP as a non-profit organization. We are also working on how could possibly work with SWAP and SOS to continue our services.
HC: So what are the things you’re looking for your store?
ZH: We have a list of items we ask for: clothes school supplies, dorm supplies, DVDs and CDs, and core volunteers to monitor items that come in and out of the store.
HC: Is there anything you won’t take?
ZH:Illicit substances, non perishables, hygiene products…
HC: When and where can we expect to see the Trading Post up and running?
ZH:Definitely before winter break, but we’re having our first event, a T-shirt swap, next Friday October, 21st,in front of the DUC, on the north side. We kind of see it as a picnic type of thing, having the shirts all laid out and then having a 1:1 t-shirt exchange. We’re not sure about the time yet, but it will be around 11-2.
HC: What are your hopes for this program in the future?
ZH:Educate people about not only sustainability, but also this material culture we live in and think about the items we use. It’s about giving life to items and repurposing them. Another big hope is to have this be a fun setting and a place where people can foster creativity and be relaxed and easy going, o promote that culture. Sometimes sustainability and environmental awareness can seem heavy–handed, but we don’t want the Trading Post to be like this at all. It all goes back to sharing; the idea of sharing can seem elementary, but sharing is a great thing for a community. Another goal is to build up exchanging ideas.
HC: Intriguing, tell me more…
ZH:Have it as a space where students can share skills they have. The example we like to use if someone who knows how to fix a bike could run a class for free and teach people to fix their bike. There are trade schools where people run classes and ask students of that class to bring an item in exchange for class: an Item for an idea. It’s a really cool idea and, although we haven’t cemented it yet, it’s really fun to see what it can evolve into.
HC: Definitely and it’s a great place to showcase all the amazing talents the students here at WashU have. Thanks for joining us. Zach, before we go, do you have any fun “green” facts you’d like to leave us with?
ZH:I went to a seminar in DC put on by Green Action and they talked a lot about coal power and how awful the affects are. They told us how much energy that WashU uses from coal power plants and although I can’t think of the exact number, I remember it was quite staggering. A lot of the electricity we use is from coal power plants, so that’s why all these green initiatives like the Green Cup from last year are so important to make you aware of just how much power we use. If anything, be conscious about the amount of electricity you use. Turn off lights when you’re not using them, unplug cell phone chargers, computer chargers, and walk instead of using the elevator- all these changes can really make a difference!