Our mission is...
To promote re-use within the Washington University community through the free exchange and affordable sale of donated goods. By giving these items another life, we're actively combatting waste and diverting items away from the landfill as well as providing an affordable and accessible resource for students.
It all started when …
We identified the fundamental root of consumerism - people simply don’t care enough about their stuff. Take WashU for instance, we collectively generate 17 million pounds of waste annually (that’s a lot of stuff!!) How can we start thinking more consciously about our actions and the environmental toll it takes on our planet?
Sharing With A Purpose is a student-owned and operated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to facilitate the open exchange of physical materials as well as knowledge-based resources among members of the Washu and larger St. Louis communities. Since its founding in 2008, SWAP annually collects reusable items left by students during the spring move-out season and stores them over the summer. SWAP then resells these items to students at an affordable price during Move-In. SWAP also runs the Trading Post an exchange store on the Washington University campus.
“We strive to create interconnected networks of mutual solidarity and support. Our collective efforts make possible a future in which all people have access to the resources needed to thrive.”
Student Entrepreneurial Program (StEP)
SWAP is part of the Washington University Student Entrepreneurial Program (StEP), which provides a unique opportunity for students to own a business on campus. Student leaders can supplement their valuable business and entrepreneurial skills they learn in the classroom while gaining real world experience as they manage and lead their own businesses. Benefits include:
Subsidized on-campus storefront space in Gregg House
On-campus solicitation of business
Organized speaker series and owner roundtable meetings
Leadership opportunities within the StEP Executive Board
Campus mailbox
Card access to residence halls
Access to mailing labels for student mailing
StEP website and virtual mall
StEP Loan Fund
What we try to accomplish on a larger scale
The broader mission of Sharing With A Purpose (SWAP) is to bridge the gap between social justice and sustainability by empowering people to share resources. We aim to meet the needs identified by diverse communities through modes of collaborative consumption such as free markets, borrowing and barter networks, skill shares, and other efforts that reduce waste by making existing resources available for new use. We advocate for shared power and decision-making in all actions, the open exchange of knowledge-based resources, and personal accountability for the well-being of others and of the earth.
To become a part of SWAP
Get in touch with us, either in person or online, to become a volunteer, intern or even an owner of a student-run business! We need your help and only with WashU students' continuous effort can we work towards a better future together.
