Schools can promote sustainability and community by hosting uniform, book, and supply swaps on campus.
Here’s how to run them successfully:
- Ask families to donate quality used items like uniforms, texts, devices, gear. Set categories and limits.
- Sort donations. Group apparel by size, items by condition, supplies by type. Recycle or donate what can’t be swapped.
- Promote the swap. Share event details and distribution guidelines through emails, social, posters.
- At the event, use signage to designate swap areas. Offer volunteers to assist browsers.
- Limit number of items per student to spread swaps fairly. First come, first served.
- Follow up with donation drives when supplies run low to replenish inventory continually.
- For uniforms, facilitate recycling not claimed into art projects, rags, insulation.
Campus swaps divert waste by connecting unused goods across peer groups sustainably. They reinforce sharing, circularity and community.
