CMU's Sustainably Council opened the doors today to its second annual welcome back yard sale, an event that will continue into the weekend.
Sustainability Council Vice President and environmental science student Ian Marshall said the yard sale is a community-building event that benefits everyone including new students, the council and the planet.
"Our country has a culture of constantly buying and throwing things away," said Marshall. "We need to break that cycle.”
The student-run organization promotes sustainable practices through education and student-led initiatives in order to inspire CMU students, faculty and staff to celebrate and protect the Earth and its resources.
Marshall said one of the best ways students can support their initiatives is to attend events like the yard sale.
Freshman Justin Murphy stopped in to buy kitchen supplies after making it a goal to cut down on single-use plastic. Murphy is a big believer in reducing, reusing and recycling and is even turning an old vest into a pillow case.
Marshall said students like Murphy keep the council running.
“None of this is bad. It is perfectly good stuff. Why not reuse it instead of sending it to the landfill?” said council member Alycen Reinhart.
The yard sale has refrigerators, kitchen items, hangers, mirrors, microwaves and more for sale at low prices. Students can expect to pay less than half of what new items would cost at a store.
The yard sale is open Saturday, August 17, from 10am–2pm in the Grand Mesa Hall multi-purpose room.
Sustainability Council events will continue throughout the year. Starting with the next one on Tuesday, where they are teaming up with the Programming Activities Council (PAC) and giving out 500 succulents at The Plaza.
“It’s cool to have a little plant in your dorm but it’s also a way to get close to nature,” said Marshall. "You can’t protect something if you don’t care for it."
Reinhart wants new students to know, “our goal is to make the community, and the school in general, more sustainable and green, and lessen our impact here on campus. Even if that just means buying a used fan or getting a better recycling system set up around campus. It’s the little steps that make big progress.”
If you’re interested in joining the Sustainability Council, their first meeting is on August 29 in Escalante Hall 201 at 5:30pm.