Community
Toolkit
A Best Practices Toolkit for
Community-Led Textile Reuse
What is it?
University reuse programs may include free stores and move-out programs. Move out programs run as pop-up donation drop off locations at the end of the school year. The drop off location is, in most cases, a designated spot inside university residences. Items collected by university reuse programs may include textiles, household items, wood, glass, fibres, office supplies, plastic, paper, tools, equipment, and arts and craft supplies, which can be dropped at a designated location. Items collected are donated to external entities and, in some instances, a smaller percentage of items are stored on campus and resold to students at a move-in sale.
- Environmental – Keeps items in circulation and out of the landfill; this is particularly significant for high-demand items that students moving into residence are likely to buy year upon year.
- Social – Benefits those in need in the university community with the possibility of donation to charitable organisations.
- Economic – Reduces economic burden for students moving into university residences by providing free or low-cost items.
Value Proposition
How To Plan Your Own
1
Determine purpose and scope:
The goals of your university reuse program might include facilitating the sustainable and economical redistribution of used items on campus, reducing waste during student transitions, providing resources to economically disadvantaged students. These programs can also meet student demand for more affordable goods, while promoting a culture of eco-conscious behavior and profiling universities as sustainability leaders.
To define scope consider:
- Will this initiative be held in a single residential building or will it be a campus-wide event?
- Will items collected for reuse be available for free or will they be resold?
- What types of items will be collected?
2
Build a team and plan the initiative
Determine how to generate funds: university support; sponsorship; direct fundraising on campus; charging fees for items left in residence rooms; entry fees to reuse sales – usually lower for students and relatively higher for community members.
Consider different models to run the program. Options include:
- Collection and sorting of goods in a space within a university residence, storage over the summer and resale in a space within a university residence during move-in. Provides high level of convenience for students with collection and resale right at student residences.
- A Large Central Move-In Sale. Collection at numerous university residences with storage and sorting over the summer with resale at a large central sale held outdoors or at a gymnasium or amphitheater. A large central sale provides economies of scale that contributes to financial viability and high visibility.
3
Submit a proposal to University management
- Verify if there are any specific regulations or policies regarding campus sales. Some universities may have guidelines for organizing such events.
4
Finalize logistics
- Including securing dates, time, space allocation, and staffing.
5
Create an item wishlist and quality guidelines
- For example: Mini fridges are usually in high demand and bulky furniture items sell for more
6
Community engagement and promotion
- Community Partnerships: Foster collaborations with local businesses, artists, performers, and influencers to bring entertainers and increase event visibility.
- Digital Promotion: Utilize social media, community websites, and university email newsletters for digital promotion of both the collection and sale events.
7
Connect with a NACTR member in advance for pick-up of leftover items
- Even a small clothing swap often results in numerous leftover garments, providing an excellent opportunity for donation to a charity collector. Contact a NACTR member in advance of the event to schedule a pickup of the remaining items, or locate the nearest NACTR member donation drop-off center and deliver the items during collection hours.
8
Set up collection
- Have students drop off items at pre-arranged and supervised locations (e.g., a common space in university residences).
- Assess items at collection to weed out any items that do not meet the quality guidelines.
- Record metrics of items collected.
9
Process items
- Sort items into categories, check that items are clean and functioning, and price accordingly.
10
Run Sale(s)
- Transport items to sale location and arrange according to category.
- Set up check out table and payment methods.
- Record metrics about items sold.
Roles for Local Governments
Promote university programs through municipal channels.
Educate/Outreach to raise awareness about reuse options during life transitions such as starting college.
Fund university reuse programs.
Partner with universities to run on-campus reuse initiatives.
Implementation Challenges and Potential Solutions
Some programs run at a deficit or are in need of additional resourcing, such as paid staff rather than volunteers, in order to run effectively. Municipalities and universities could work together to provide funding and resources to priorities reuse activities on campus.
Items may be left over from reuse programs, creating opportunities to partner with charities to accept surplus donations, unclaimed or unsold items. Seek opportunities for charitable partnerships to reuse and recycle the remaining items off-campus. Some move-out programs also involve municipal pick-up of items such as bulky items like furniture that are not desired by charitable partners.
Since students may first swap or sell highest quality items between each other. Ensure reuse programs collect items that are valued by students and would be purchased new otherwise and disposed of, e.g,. mini fridges and office supplies.
Examples
Learn from Experiences
UBC Mindful Move-Out (BC). Volunteer-run program that collects items from students moving out of residences. On average, collects 13 kg (30 lb) of materials per bed. Previously partnered with a charity organization, but adjusted into a collect, store, and resell model. Re-exploring the partnership model to include charitable donations in the future.
Concordia University Centre for Creative Reuse (QC). Collects and displays a variety of wood, glass, metal, fibres, office supplies, plastics, paper, tools and equipment, and arts & crafts supplies collected from campus departments and individuals. The Used Material Depot is a free store where members can “shop” for items for free. No evidence of clothing collection or charitable donation, which presents an opportunity for development in this area.
University of Winnipeg Sustainability Office (MB). The university’s sustainability office is diverting textile and houseware waste by running a drop off/pickup location for office supplies, offering recycling for office furniture and managing a move out program at one of the student residencies.
Resources
- Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges, Halls Reuse Guide
