Sustainability Office launches permanent Laurier Freestore

March 3, 2020

Every year when students move out, a glut of unwanted furniture, household items, school supplies and decor ends up on the curb, waiting to be taken away in a garbage truck. 

With the launch of a permanent Waterloo campus Laurier Freestore, Wilfrid Laurier University’s Sustainability Office, in partnership with Martin Luther University College, is ensuring more of these items end up in the hands of students who need them, rather than in the landfill. 

In September 2018, students shopped at a pop-up Freestore that included free items donated by students, staff and faculty. That pilot project, along with Laurier’s Move Out Program, which collects e-waste, textiles, textbooks and non-perishable food for donation and recycling, diverted nearly 5,000 pounds of waste from landfills in 2018.

“The launch of the Freestore will help us meet the goals we’ve set out in our Sustainability Action Plan by both offering items at no cost and reducing waste during move out,” says Katarina Milicic, outreach and program coordinator with Laurier’s Sustainability Office. “We hope to provide this service for students for years to come with help from the Laurier community through donations and volunteers to manage the space.”

The permanent Freestore, which will be located at 232 King St., room KB02R (the basement of the Special Constable Service building), will have its official launch on March 13 from 9 a.m. until noon, at the conclusion of Laurier’s Zero Waste Week. The Laurier community is welcome to stop by to see the space and talk with the Laurier Freestore team. All students are welcome to shop. There is a limit of five items per person. Coffee and snacks will be available at the launch. Please remember your reusable mug!

Regular hours have not yet been set for the Freestore but will be announced on social media.

To volunteer, please fill out the Sustainability Office’s application form.

To donate to the Freestore, email Milicic at kmilicic@wlu.ca. Once the space has opened, regular donation drop-off hours will be set.

Acceptable Items:

• Kitchenware: cups, plates, reusable mugs, small countertop appliances, etc.
• Room accessories: wall art, clocks, hangers, small waste bins, etc.
• Storage: bins, Tupperware, etc.
• Bathroom: cleaning buckets and shower curtains
• Electronics: keyboards, lamps, fans, small printers, etc.
• School: binders, unused notebooks, stationary, backpacks
• Recreation: balls, Frisbees, etc. 

Items not accepted:

• Clothing 
• Large furniture or appliances
• Chemical products of any kind
• Toiletries