Homecoming and Family Weekend at Colorado State University is nearly here and with it one of the most enduring traditions of the weekend: Festival on the Oval on Oct. 13 from 3-6 p.m. Known as “the biggest party on the block,” the festival features a beer garden, games, interactive booths, food trucks and more.
This year, the “GREEN” in Green and Gold is taking center stage with a sustainability theme for game day. CSU is a national leader in sustainability among colleges and universities, and a new booth at the festival this year will feature a clothing and gear swap dedicated to CSU items.
The booth, sponsored by the President’s Sustainability Commission, invites all attendees (students, employees, alumni and community members) to drop off, swap, and/or select CSU items for free. Everyone is welcome to bring clean, gently used CSU gear to the booth. This includes apparel, hats, mugs, memorabilia or any CSU items you have and no longer use or need.
Promoting a circular economy
Clothing swaps among students have been popular on the CSU campus for several years. They have shown tremendous success with students swapping clothes they no longer want or wear and selecting some new-to-them items to take home.
“Students have been modeling a circular economy on campus with clothing swaps that have been very successful,” said Tonie Miyamoto, executive director of communications and sustainability for the Division of Student Affairs. “These events demonstrate that an item no longer of use to one person is a treasure to the next person, demonstrating that a circular economy can provide no-cost ways for people to engage and build community.”
Students who have attended such swaps love the fact that they are saving money, saving the planet, and saving resources.
“It feels incredible to be a part of a community that values sustainability so highly, attending these swaps has gained me some cool clothes and even cooler friends,” said Cecilia Huber, a third-year student majoring in fish, wildlife and conservation biology.
Why clothing/gear swaps?
Clothing and gear swaps are one way to support environmental, economic and social sustainability as they reduce waste, are free to attend and bring people together for community events. Not only do participants support the “reduce and reuse” pillar of waste reduction, they also get functional items to take home. Swap events like the CSU Gear Swap allow participants to achieve several goals at once:
- Save money by finding “new” clothes and gear at no cost.
- Give gently used clothes and gear a new home.
- Reduce the impact of fast fashion by extending the life of items.
- Meet new people at the swap event.
- Find new ways to express school pride.
- Support a circular economy and the slow fashion movement.
As the rapper Macklemore once said, “One man’s trash is another man’s come up.”
What are the guidelines?
Items to Bring:
- Jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts, and polos in all sizes (infant, youth, adult).
- T-shirts, jerseys, skirts, overalls.
- Hats, scarves and winter gear.
- Travel mugs, reusable water bottles, and drinking glasses.
- Memorabilia: photo frames, umbrellas, stadium seats, towels, etc.
- Accessories (jewelry, keychains, lanyards, etc.).
- Vintage Aggie and CSU items.
Items to Leave at Home:
- Uniforms.
- Department or event-specific items.
- Items owned by CSU (these need to be processed through Surplus).
Who Can Participate:
Everyone!
If you’d like to drop off items ahead of the event, please deliver to 201 Administration by Oct. 12 at noon. You can also bring items to the booth during the festival and if you don’t have items to bring, you can stop by and select an item. If you want to learn more about sustainable living, come ask questions.
We welcome and encourage all people to take part in this great event to give, receive, and learn!
