Hey Saints! We all have a pretty good idea of what waste is: potato chip bags, bottles, cans, plastic wrap, paper cups, dishes, etc. The list goes on and on.

But often times, we forget that waste includes other items like old clothing, dorm furniture and decorations. As we approach mid-semester, we are all starting to think: “How am I supposed to get all this stuff back home?” And unfortunately, one of our options is to just throw away what we don’t want into the large dumpster bins outside of the dorms at the end of the semester.

However, just like plastic and glass, our old clothing, dorm decorations and furniture can all be recycled, but maybe not in the same way as our plastic and glass bottles.

However, someone else may be able to use what you no longer have a desire to. After all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Instead of trashing your clothes, furniture and décor, bring it to local thrift stores and consignment shops in the Canton-Potsdam area.

Drop it off at SLU’s very own Barn Good Thrift Store, the Canton Church and Community Thrift Store or Clothes Closet between Canton and Potsdam.

So, how does this help the environment? Well, recycling your undesired items supports the idea of environmental sustainability. An easy way of thinking about sustainability is taking only what you need at a rate that the Earth can regenerate its natural resources to prevent depletion. So, reduce your waste in ways that you might not even think about, and visit new local thrift shops in the NoCo in the process!