How To Organize Your Own Swap Meet

College campuses are more than just sites for studying–they’re places designed for sharing knowledge and fostering community. Organizing a swap meet is a wonderful way to practice sustainability and make the most of the community around you.

I was first inspired to initiate a swap meet by a tradition that my sorority does every year. At the end of spring term, girls would designate a room in the house where girls could drop off lightly used room decor and school supplies that they no longer had use for. Incoming sophomores gladly took our lightly used mattress toppers and closet curtains. Even soon-to-be upperclassmen found items they could use, walking away with small vanity mirrors and storage carts that would help furnish their new places as they moved out of the chapter house and into a new chapter of college. This has been a longstanding tradition within our chapter and showed me that sometimes, the best way to reduce waste is to simply pass along what you no longer need. Most of all, it’s shown me that implementing sustainability doesn’t have to be overly formal or complicated; a bit of coordination goes a long way in getting involved and staying eco-friendly. 

While I’ve seen these traditions at the end of the school year within the fraternity and sorority chapters at University of Oregon, you do not need to be a member of Greek life to contribute to a sustainable culture on campus!

Steps for Organizing the Swap Meet:

1. Choose a venue. If you live close to a college campus, get in contact with university representatives and ask to work with them to put on the event. Ballrooms and gymnasiums are good options as well. If the weather is nice, consider using a local park as the setting for your swap meet. An outdoor location makes it easier to bring in large items and 
2. Pick a place and time. Decide on the details and spread the word!
3. Get specific. Set guidelines for what can be brought, donated and traded. It can be helpful to split up your content into categories.
4. Consider reaching out to local organizations. Maximize the community aspect of the swap meet by getting in touch with environmentalist organizations and student clubs. And create a network of like-minded people to organize with in the future. 
5. Advertise! When it comes to swap meets, the more the merrier! So it’s important to advertise your event in a way that reaches a large audience and gets your message across in a way that’s accessible and inviting. One way to generate publicity for your swap is to create an infographic. An infographic allows you to put all the details in one place and easily send to friends and share over social media. 

It’s priceless to see your old belongings take on new life and know that you gave back to your community, all while doing your part to practice climate conservation. 

Check out this infographic to see an example of how you can use infographics to promote your swap meet and get your community excited about sustainability!