Green House holds first used-item sale

Tufts’ first ever Blue and Brown Pass Down sale gave students moving in discounted prices on donations from students moving out the previous year. The event, which was coordinated  by Tufts Green House, was held in the Jackson Gym on Sept. 3,  according to Green House Manager Megan Bateman.

Bateman, a senior, said the sale was designed to encourage sustainability on campus. 

“It’s a lot easier to take something when you’re done with it and throw it in the trash," Bateman said. "But to actually put in the time and … gather all those unwanted items at the end of the year and turn them into … perfectly usable items at the beginning of the next year, I think it sends a huge message to campus about ways that we all can get involved in sustainability." 

Around 20 Eco-Reps volunteered to help out with the event, according to Isabel Falls, a junior and the Eco-Rep coordinator. The Eco Reps helped haul the items from Stratton Hall, where they had been stored over the summer, to the sale on Saturday and helped set up before the sale, Falls noted.

Toward the end of the event, everything that wasn’t sold was made free for students, according to Bateman.

“We really only have about 15 boxes of stuff and a few fans left over, and all of that will be donated to Goodwill or the Salvation Army," she said.

Although they didn’t have a final count on the proceeds from the event, Bateman said they were able to cover all the costs of hosting the event.

“[The money will first go to] operations costs – that’s to pay for the storage over the summer, to employ me [and] to make sure that the sale was prepared for,” she said. “Money left over is going to go toward both the Office of Sustainability and the [Tufts] Green House, and all of that money will be purposed for future sustainability efforts on campus."

Falls said the event was a positive step toward minimizing waste. 

“Seeing the amount of stuff we had and [thinking about] that going into landfill – it was really satisfying to see it actually make revenue and be given a new home,” Falls said.

Bateman added that was the sale was an opportunity to show the Tufts community that sustainability can be a normal part of everyday life. 

“Sustainability does not have to be an inconvenience  … Composting, recycling, changing your habits and everything can seem tedious and undesirable," she said. "I think this was a really beneficial way of showing people that being sustainable can also be convenient."

Likewise, Director for Campus Life Joe Golia, whose job involves coordinating orientation, said the event was well received.

"From what I saw, it was a great success and a wonderful addition to the Orientation Calendar," Golia said.