Aggie Eco Reps, a student organization sponsored by Residence Life, takes sustainability seriously.  Their Swap Shop, which began as a monthly pop-up event around campus, is just one of the moves they are making towards a more sustainable campus community.

“We saw that there was a clear need and desire for an event like this, so we decided to keep it a recurring event,” said Aggie Eco-Reps President Kellen Moore ’24. Demand for the event continued to rise and discussions for a permanent solution for the store began. In spring 2023, space in Hullaballoo 114c was secured.

The launch of the permanent space this semester has been a huge hit. “Our first opening we got flooded with a ton of people coming in, and it was a huge event,” said Jordan Jeffcoat Aggie Eco-Reps campus events vice president.

The project is focused on promoting economic, environmental and social sustainability. The act of swapping clothes prolongs their life and keeps them out of the landfill. It’s also a more affordable option for a wardrobe refresh than buying new items. In addition, the Swap Store has also evolved to lend a hand to Aggies in need.

“We found that people started coming to us with legitimate needs rather than just a thrift store situation,” said Moore. “I remember last fall we had one person come through who was experiencing homelessness and used our Swap Store to get clothes and office supplies that they needed to get back their feet while they were looking for a new home.”

The Swap Store is a beautiful example of what selfless service truly means. What was intended to be a fun, sustainable and trendy thrift shopping experience has turned into Aggies helping Aggies without expecting anything in return. “People tend to take less than what they donate,” Moore said. “Which is great, but we might need a larger space soon to store all the donations.”

Aggie Eco Reps is the largest sustainability organization on campus. They host campus cleanups, a succulent sale, and other events to promote an environmentally conscious campus. The group also does educational programming in each residence hall and for Hullabaloo U first year experience classes.

Eco Reps is an open membership organization, so students can get involved at any point in the semester. The Swap Store in Hullabaloo 114C is open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays