Augie Thrift takes aim at dorm move-out waste

As students pack up all their belongings and many memories from the year, the campus dumpsters too often begin to resemble a junkyard full of recyclable and functional items: discarded clothes, abandoned dorm décor and neglected furniture. Two years ago, co-founders of Augie Thrift Grace Lenning and Libby Breckon witnessed the disturbing amount of dorm waste and felt compelled to act. They decided that something needed to change. One year later, their determination took form. 

This May, for the second year in a row, Augie Thrift members will fill campus sidewalks with bright blue, green and pink chalk, directing students toward drop-off areas. Instagram posts and posters around campus will let students know that Augie Thrift will accept any extra dorm décor and clothing during move-out. 

Planetaid.org says that on average, each college student produces about 640 pounds of waste annually, with the bulk of  waste accumulating at the end of the second semester. Wanting to avoid hauling furniture, décor and clothing back home at the end of the year, students choose to throw it away instead. Planet Aid also says that the majority of what students are throwing away is “reusable or recyclable,” like mattress pads, cubbies, lamps and clothes that do not belong in landfills around the country. 

Lenning, president of Augie Thrift, said that students had “complained” to her regarding the waste during move-out. Some students even began “dumpster diving” to save some of the things that were thrown out.  

“A lot of the times there was really good stuff in there, like I found a working TV in those dumpsters,” Breckon, Augie Thrift's vice president, said. 

Lenning said when she and Breckon saw the amount of waste created at the end of each school year, they knew it was becoming a “big issue” and were determined to find a way to salvage the usable items. Augie Thrift became an official ASA-approved organization in May 2023. Lenning and Breckon were the only two members of the organization at the time of the 2024 school year move-out; some groups of volunteers stepped in to help collect donations, but the majority of the work was done by the co-founders. 

Last year, the organization released a map disclosing where the drop-off locations will be this year. Each dorm has a designated location outside for larger items, like furniture, and a bin inside for clothing. Stavig and Granskou Halls have a large, combined outdoor donation zone.  

“I know we have made a big impact,” Lenning said. “I like to think it's kind of just something that can give people hope about the progress we’re making as a campus.”

Augie Thrift is working to educate the campus on issues regarding waste. Lenning said that Thrift is trying to do “educational events” and hang posters to bring “awareness” of the ongoing waste issue to Augustana.

“Part of our initiative is educating students on how to be sustainable,” Breckon said. “We try to do workshops on how to mend clothes, how to be more sustainable at home versus just being a thrift store. There is more to it than that.” 

Augie Thrift has accumulated roughly 3,000 pounds of donated items since it became an official ASA organization in the fall of 2023. After receiving donations, Augie Thrift members go through them and decide what is in good enough shape to sell and what needs to be thrown out. 

Lenning said that donations come from students, staff and faculty, and some items are sold back to the Augustana community in the Augie Thrift store. During the 2024 move-out, students donated at least 60 industrial-sized trash bags full of clothes.

“There are so many cool things you can find there,” Lenning said. “I’ve found so many clothes that I’m like ‘Who would give this up?’” 

Breckon said that students are astonished by how affordable the prices are. The store sells pants for $5 and T-shirts for just $2.  She said that they have had lots of positive feedback regarding the affordability of the items in the store. 

Both Lenning and Breckon have enjoyed watching students find things that will benefit them from the store. 

“One man’s trash, another man’s treasure,” Lenning said. 

Watching each item’s life get extended when bought by another student has been a “rewarding” thing to see, Lenning said. Both Lenning and Breckon will graduate this spring. They say that the organization will be in good hands. 

“Getting through our first move-out and then, in turn, having our first sale day in the fall and having freshmen and international students be able to look at those items and get them was super awesome to watch,” Breckon said.