By Hasnat Aslam ’27
Pard to Pard, Lafayette College’s campus thrift store, has found a permanent home in Pardee Hall.
The store aims to promote environmental sustainability by decreasing the campus contribution to landfills and advance community well-being by redistributing affordable and accessible goods. Pard to Pard will operate 4-6 p.m. every Wednesday in Pardee Hall Room 25, starting Jan. 31.
Students can shop for kitchen supplies, clothes, office supplies, decorations, and more. The thrift store operates on a pay-what-you-can model, meaning students set the price that works for their budget.
A circular economy
According to Samantha Smith, sustainability outreach and engagement manager, the campus thrift store has evolved over time. She says the program began around 2018 with student interest that involved a few pop-up thrift stores every semester. After gaining some traction, several student classes and capstones completed research to inquire how the College could have a more permanent thrift store on campus.
Alanna Haldaman ’25, who served as thrift store manager in the fall, says “the thrift store strives to promote a circular economy on campus while getting students their needs on a pay-what-you-can basis.”
At the end of each semester, students can donate gently used clothing and gear during Green Move Out, an Office of Sustainability-led initiative. In spring 2023, students donated more than 22,000 pounds of gently used books, clothing, and dorm goods at spring semester’s end, Smith says.
Items collected by the office are first offered to the Easton community, whether through community sales such as the West Ward Sale or donations to community groups. The remaining items are then distributed to students at the thrift store.
Smith points out that students should think about their consumption habits. Instead of overconsuming and then donating items later on, they should reflect on whether they need the items they are buying in the first place. Think about the model “reduce, reuse, then recycle or donate.”