Times can be tight for post-secondary students on a budget, but volunteers at a new sustainable store at the University of Toronto are hoping to save undergrads a few extra bucks on a variety of essentials.
Open since October, the Free Store on the St. George Campus has been helping students, staff and faculty at U of T to shop for gently used supplies and clothing — at no cost.
“It’s like a thrift store where everything is free,” said Chelsea Dalton, Free Store project manager. “Toronto has an extremely high cost of living, so because this is all free, it can help people who just need a binder or some school supplies. It just helps that extra little bit.”
Student Sustainable Ambassadors — alongside volunteers with the school’s partner organization Regenesis — are on-site three days a week to sort through donations and give used items a new life.
Students and staff at U of T can browse through an assortment of clothing, shoes, furniture, books and office supplies.
Formerly known as the Swap Shop, the Free Store is a rebranded venture that kicked off last fall, spearheaded by U of T's sustainability office. Aiming to reduce waste on campus, the store diverts lightly used items that would have traditionally ended up in a landfill.
“I wanted to brand it a little bit,” Dalton said. “The name implied you had to bring something to get something. I felt like ‘Free Store’ let people know what the whole store is about. We expanded the items we have and now accept donations — which we didn’t before.”
In addition to its up-to-date selection of giveaways, the store also receives all kinds of collectibles and trinkets from decades gone by. There were even old VHS tapes of classic shows like Bonanza and Family Ties sitting atop the store’s pop culture section.
Diego Arreola, a U of T undergrad who runs the student ambassadors program, told TorontoToday he’s seen many unique items filter through the store since he joined the effort last year.
“Whenever we have something cool, it goes away super fast,” he said. “Cameras, watches, headphones — they fly. We’ve had other unique items like paintings, and they go quickly too.”
“We’ve gotten donations every day we’ve been open,” he added. “Just today, we had five different people come by and donate bags full of things. It’s been great.”
While donations have been coming in from across the community, the school itself has also been contributing in a big way.
Most of the furniture at the Free Store — like office chairs and desks — is donated by various school departments when faculty members are renovating or upgrading their spaces. Shelves full of books have also been brought in from library cleanouts, as well as unclaimed items in the school’s lost and found.
By reusing their items and supplies, Dalton explained the Free Store aligns with the University of Toronto’s mission to create a zero-waste campus.
“We keep track of everything that goes out the door,” she said. “In the first three weeks we were open, we were getting upwards of 100 people per day and we diverted over 600 kilograms of material from landfill — it was incredible.”
“It’s been much more popular than I anticipated, which is great,” Dalton added. “It’s a little quieter right now, probably since it’s been so cold. But it’s been fantastic from an environmental standpoint as well as helping out the community and making students really happy.”
This week, TorontoToday spoke with several U of T students who were on the hunt for free essentials. Everyone who chatted about their experience on Wednesday said it was their first time shopping at the store.
Indigo Aujla-Letts
Cinema Studies, first year
“I didn’t know what to expect, but there seems to be a lot of cool books. I’m trying to read more, and there were a lot of old books that were really interesting. I also enjoy collecting, so there’s definitely a couple books here that I’m going to grab.”
Naomi Johnson
Engineering, fourth year
“We had a break before our meeting, so we wanted to see what was here. It’s really cool — there’s a lot of different items. When I have to get rid of clothes, some donation places are far away. Being able to come here is really convenient.”
Paloma Manterola
Engineering, fourth year
“I was thinking the store would have been a good thing to have when I was moving last August. They have good tables and chairs. The dressers are also really nice. I already have one now, but back when I was moving it would have been nice.”
Hassan Africawala
Engineering, fourth year
“It’s cool to see that U of T is doing things like this because you don’t see this kind of stuff around all the time. It’s a good way to recycle items that are in great condition. If I was moving, I would definitely come and check it out again.”
The Free Store also accepts handbags, backpacks, water bottles, kitchenware, household items, small appliances and arts and crafts supplies. They do accept clothing, but not undergarments, socks, athletic wear or swimwear. Donations must be clean and in good condition.
Users must have a TCard to access the space.
Located at the South Borden Building at 487 Spadina Crescent, the store is open for students, faculty and residents wishing to donate from Tuesdays to Thursdays between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
