Sustainability in Full Bloom at the Aspen Spring Sustainability Festival

On April 18th, the Stanford community gathered for the Spring Sustainability Festival, hosted by students and staff in the Aspen Neighborhood Council and Big Swap – a pop-up exchange of clothing and other items, organized by Zero Waste Reuse Fellow, Julia Hok.

The ambiance had an air of a community bazaar – attendees bustled around Arguello field, searching for a second-hand steal from the clothing swap, crafting bouquets with flowers from the Farm, engaging with staff about current campus sustainability efforts, and enjoying the sunshine on picnic blankets on the grass, swaying to the music of student performers. 

A key draw of the sustainability fair was Big Swap – an opportunity for the campus community to share clothing, household goods, and personal items. Big Swap organizer Julia Hok says, “This event developed an environment for exchange and community and possibility. It’s a community of sharing; give and get, keeping things in a circular economy. It’s a very symbiotic relationship.”

Hok shared that Big Swap received a total of 2,100 pounds of clothing items – just over a ton – and by the end of the day, less than 200 pounds remained for donation. “The goal of this event,” Hok reflects, “is helping save money, connecting people to each other, reducing supply chain emissions and diverting waste from landfill.”

Zero Waste intern Sala des Rosiers adds, “Wandering through the fair, the thing that struck me most was the infectious joy. There is something particularly lovely about initiatives such as this one, which implicitly fosters sustainability, allowing people with a vast array of perspectives on environmentalism to come together and have fun.” 

Brianna Wingard, Neighborhood Program Coordinator for Aspen and Sequoia, and co-planner of the event, shared that this was one of the first all-campus neighborhood programs with a sustainability theme.

“It was beautiful to see so many campus partners and student groups collaborate to celebrate and encourage sustainable living on campus. My hope is that this program can contribute to Stanford University’s goal to reach zero waste,” shared Wingard. She hopes it can serve as a source of inspiration for future campus events.

“I noticed so many students connecting and being in community with each other. I could sense the excitement and eagerness to contribute to this vision as people engaged with each activity, from building flower bouquets, to watching our talented student performers, to learning about sustainable living, to exchanging items on the field. I am honored to have collaborated with so many wonderful teams and look forward to continuing to build upon the sustainable events framework that will inspire future zero waste outcomes, ” Wingard exclaims.

More than anything, sustainability asks people to actively participate in the well-being and longevity of their communities, and so it is in the moments where sustainability initiatives become an act of community and celebration that environmentalism truly thrives. The Aspen Spring Sustainability Festival was just that: an act of joy, of environmental behaviors that feel not like a heavy obligation, but an investment in the sustainable future we are striving to create.

The next Big Swap in collaboration with the Olive neighborhood is already planned and happening on Friday, June 6th at Xanadu and Mars dorms! Mark you calendars and learn more here.