University of Ottawa’s Free Store sets a new standard for sustainability

With thousands of students moving on and off campus every year, universities across the country face a recurring waste problem. Despite tight budgets and student needs, discarded items end up in landfills every year. To try and combat the problem, the University of Ottawa’s office of campus sustainability opened the Free Store. What started in 2006 as a series of donation tables and pop-up give-away events has evolved into a popular brick-and-mortar centre for reuse and recycling, supporting the university community’s sustainability efforts.

“Our mission was two-fold,” said Angela Plant, supervisor of the store. “We wanted to tackle the issue of excessive waste during student move-outs, and at the same time, address the financial struggles that many students face.”

Photo courtesy of University of Ottawa.

As the name suggests, everything in the store is free: clothing, shoes, towels and blankets, office and school supplies, kitchenware, electronics, lamps, as well as used textbooks and books. The Free Store project has fine-tuned the art of reusing and recycling, transforming discarded items into valuable resources for students.

“We aimed to create a space where students could comfortably drop in, browse, and take what they needed. It’s about making sustainability tangible and accessible,” said Jonathan Rausseo, the campus sustainability manager at U of O.

The store has become a valuable resource for the international student community in particular. “Anything for free is always a win-win thing. Being an international student, it has helped me avoid unnecessary expense for important household items like lamps, a vacuum and much more,” said Karn Kavathia, a master’s of mechanical engineering student at U of O. “It was a new concept to me when I got here because nothing is ever free usually. But it surprised me! So I like to contribute to the Free Store too whenever I can.”

Mr. Rausseo said the university was pleasantly surprised when they learned that several international students had taken the concept of a free store back to their home countries. By addressing their unique needs, the store not only empowers international students but also acknowledges their vital contribution to the academic ecosystem.