SWAP (Sharing with a Purpose)

Washington University in St. Louis’s Sustainable Nonprofit SWAP Mission Statement: To promote re-use within the Washington University community through the free exchange and affordable sale of donated goods Sharing With A Purpose is a student operated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Since its founding in 2012, 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 the fall semester move-in. SWAP also runs the Trading Post, an exchange store on the Washington University campus. What we try to accomplish on a larger scale: The SWAP team strives 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, and skill shares. These efforts reduce waste by making pre-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. 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.