For Carolina students, back-to-school move-ins don’t require as many trips back to the big-box stores. Carolina Thrift, UNC’s first student-led thrift shop, is giving students an alternative way to stock up on necessities and nice-to-haves for the year ahead.
As students return to campus, they can stop by Carolina Thrift’s inaugural sale on Saturday, August 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Carolina Union Great Hall.
From desks, rugs and lamps to mini fridges, TVs and coffee makers, hundreds of items will be available for students to sort through and snag. And trendy merchandise isn’t the only thing students will encounter. They’ll also run into plenty of other students who work with different environmental groups on campus – plus several talented groups providing live performances.
Carolina Thrift received an Innovate Carolina Dreamers-Who-Do sponsorship to help with the initial launch of the program. The organization works to collect items that many students mindlessly throw away at the end of the spring semester – things like appliances, furniture and clothing. Then, at the beginning of the following fall semester, Carolina Thrift makes these items available for other students to purchase and re-use. For the environment, extending the use of merchandise means less waste dumped in landfills. And for students, the chance to find great items at a great price makes good financial sense.
“As student entrepreneurs, we want to encourage socially responsible consumerism and provide the UNC-Chapel Hill area with financial relief, while building Carolina’s community,” student co-founder Carlyann Edwards told Innovate Carolina during the time of the spring collection.
Edwards is part of a team of 14 Carolina students who oversee the organization. Each member lends specific skills in a variety of areas, including business, collection, event management, marketing, operations and sustainability.
During the sale on August 18, student may make purchases with cash, check and Venmo.
Visit the Carolina Thrift website to learn more.
| UNC-CH