By Valentina Toro
Features Editor
By redirecting unused supplies back into circulation, the university’s Swap Shop gives faculty and staff a free and sustainable alternative to buying new office materials while helping departments stretch tight budgets and reduce campus waste.
Located in Engleman Hall Room C108, the Swap Shop operates as a reuse store where people can pick up donated office supplies at no cost, with inventory supplied by departments across campus.
“I learned about the Swap Shop through the email blasts that they send to staff about it,” Christina West-Webster, a program assistant in the Office of Workforce and Lifelong Learning said.
Run through the Office of Sustainability, the Swap Shop is designed to reduce unnecessary purchasing while keeping usable materials out of the waste stream.
Shelves are stocked with binders, folders, organizers and other office basics, along with occasional specialty items. Instead of immediately placing orders through vendors, employees are encouraged to browse the store first.
The approach supports both waste reduction and internal resource sharing, two goals that align with broader campus sustainability efforts. For West-Webster, the shop has become a practical starting point when her office needs supplies.
Checking what is available before buying new items helps lower departmental spending and sometimes turns up unexpected materials.
“Its the first place that we go to find supplies to save our budget — burden on our budget — and it’s a great place to find unique finds,” West-Webster said.
Because the inventory depends on donations, the selection changes regularly. That variation makes each visit different and encourages repeat trips when new items arrive.
Beyond cost savings, West-Webster said the environmental benefit is one of the strongest reasons she recommends the Swap Shop to other employees across campus.
“The green sustainability piece of it, I think, is very attractive, at least to me,” West-Webster said. “I would hope to others.”
Unlike ordering supplies online, visiting the Swap Shop requires employees to step away from their desks and browse in person. That element makes the experience more hands-on than submitting a purchase request through a catalog system.
Staff can compare items directly, take only what they need and avoid ordering more supplies than needed. The model also helps departments redistribute surplus materials that might otherwise sit unused in storage rooms.
Organizers encourage offices to donate extra supplies so they can be redistributed instead of discarded. That reuse cycle — donate, browse and reuse — extends the life of everyday materials and supports campus sustainability goals.
For employees who have not visited the Swap Shop yet, West-Webster said the biggest advantage is straightforward and immediate. Staff members can walk in, review what is available and leave with needed supplies the same day.
That accessibility, she said, makes it especially useful for offices that need materials quickly or are working within tight budget limits.
“I guess it’s very similar to online shopping because you can shop online just the way that you could shop here,” West-Webster said, “but you have the bonus of not having to pay for it.”
