By: Bridget Côté ’26
Lafayette College’s Office of Sustainability and Landis Center for Community Engagement hosted the West Ward Sale June 14 at Paxinosa Elementary School. New and gently used items were collected during Lafayette’s annual Green Move Out, sorted, and then sold according to a pay-what-you-can model. Those donations as students move out are key.
“Sustainability is a value of the college and this initiative embodies that,” says Delicia Nahman, director of sustainability. “We are grateful to the students, faculty, and staff that started this effort 15+ years ago and are proud to see our partnership with community organizations and individuals deepen over time.”
The project diverts items away from the landfill as a part of overarching waste diversion goals at Lafayette. “We have a goal of diverting 60% of campus waste away from the landfill by 2035 and 40% by 2030,” says Samantha Comas, sustainability outreach and engagement manager for the Office of Sustainability.
Christian Muisener ’27, a zero waste and circularity fellow with the Office of Sustainability, says the hands-on experience at the sale really made an impact for him. “… helping people get what they need, helping the Earth not get more polluted, even just like a tiny little bit, it feels good,” Muisener says.
Muisener says approximately 10,600+ pounds of items, or over 5 tons, were collected and redistributed—donated to community partners, purchased at the West Ward Sale, or unsold items that will go to Pard to Pard, the campus thrift store, for students who may need them.
Conner Elliott-Knaggs, climate action and circularity manager at Lafayette, says the West Ward Sale demonstrates “the value of putting effort into reducing waste in a way that can help support a local community.”
Even under rainy conditions, people were lining up for the sale by 9:30 in the morning, even though the sale began at 11 a.m.
Jodi Fowler, associate director for civic leadership programs within the Landis Center, says the West Ward Sale is not just about giving back to the community. “It’s of reciprocal benefit to the College and the community,” Fowler says. “We’re continually working to improve the quality and variety of the goods we bring to the sale so that they truly meet community needs. At the same time, we’re upcycling materials that would otherwise end up in landfills, ultimately helping the environment.”
The West Ward Sale takes weeks to coordinate and has many moving parts. It’s a team effort that requires help from departments across campus and many volunteers.
This year approximately 180 volunteers, in addition to the Office of Sustainability and Landis Center’s staff and students, helped to facilitate the sale. Lafayette employees from 19 different departments volunteered their time and energy. Muisener estimates that individuals contributed 500-plus volunteer hours.
Working within the Office of Sustainability or even volunteering for events like this helps connect the community, students, and faculty to work toward a common goal, says Laura Muñoz Lembcke ’28, a carbon pricing fellow with the Office of Sustainability. Up next is Green Move In, which will take place at the beginning of the fall 2025 semester and includes a pop-up thrift store for students to get items they may need. There are many ways to contribute to sustainability as a member of the Lafayette community by becoming an intern or volunteer, or simply by the decisions you make every day to decrease waste and contribute to sustainability programs and events. Visit the Sustainability website to learn more.
