This fall, I became very interested in the concept of being an ethical consumer. I found it fascinating that by buying from second-hands stores, we could greatly decrease the cyclical system of supply and demand and practice more sustainable lifestyles.
We live in an endless cycle of consumption - buying and selling goods to satisfy boredom or keep up with the latest fashion trends. We all have a strong desire to satiate our consumerist lifestyles, but there is no reason we cannot do so in a way that promotes ethical consumerism and community integration.
As a DePauw University eco rep, I sat down with my fellow peers at our first meeting of the year to discuss the goals we wanted to set as the student representatives of the sustainability movement on our campus. Because my passion at the time was becoming an ethical consumer, I wanted to find a way to improve how DePauw students think about their purchasing habits. Another issue I wished to focus on was the lack of interaction between the campus and Greencastle communities.
I thought a clothing bin would be a good way to create a connection with the students at DePauw and Greencastle citizens. Students could donate clothing or other goods to a bin conveniently placed on campus, supporting the system of second-hand clothing and giving back to the Greencastle community. It could provide more options to our local Goodwill thrift store and perhaps encourage more students to shop second-hand.
I called the headquarters of Goodwill Industries in Terre Haute, Ind., and they agreed to provide a container for donated goods. On Wednesday April 9, our campus received the Goodwill Donation Bin, a big blue container in the Women's Center parking lot. DePauw is the first university in Indiana to be directly partnered with Goodwill Industries.
Goodwill Industries will accept clothing, shoes, purses, blankets, curtains, silverware: just about anything in gently used condition. It is important to keep in mind that these goods will be used again, so they must be of decent quality. Every two weeks, a Goodwill truck will stop by to pick up donations and distribute them to the Goodwill in Greencastle.
The Goodwill bin is just one way to pop the DePauw "bubble" and become more integrated with the surrounding community. It's a small way to give back to the real-life people that work and live in this rural Indiana town. It is not only the act of giving back, but the philosophy behind recycled goods that is important.
- White is a sophomore environmental geoscience major from Steamboat Springs, Colo.