A Goods Swap reduces waste by facilitating the reuse of unwanted goods.
In the summer of 2016, students in ECON 1119 organized the first Goods Swap at Langara College resulting in the most successful City Studio/Zero Waste project undertaken in the course. The students collected donations of household items and gave them away for free to Langara students, staff and faculty.
Student volunteers, including Vanessa Coady who was responsible for the first swap, helped Langara’s Action Plan Action Group (APAG) 5: Environmental, Financial and Social Sustainability hold a second successful Goods Swap in the foyer of Building A on October 12, 2016.
Of the approximately 900 items collected, 750 of them found new homes. Langara employees provided most of the donations, which included books, VHS tapes, DVDs, CDs, games, toys, sports equipment, electronics, kitchenware, art & decorations, clothing, and jewelry.
Some unusual items including a life jacket for a small dog and an ironing board cover with a nearly nude male model printed on it also found their way into the Goods Swap. Incidentally, the latter item is still looking for a new owner.
Recipients were very pleased to get items from the Swap. One woman, a mother and a recent transplant from Sweden, was ecstatic to get kitchen items and clothing for her four kids.
The event also generated $112 in donations for the College Foundation. The money will find its way into scholarships and bursaries for Langara students.
Almost two thirds of the unclaimed items were clothing. Some were dropped off in a clothing bin benefiting Canuck Place, a few items including an old TV were recycled and the remainder are being stored for the next Goods Swap.
Thank you everyone that donated items to the Goods Swap.
– Fulton Tom, Instructor and APAG 5 member
