Sustainability week of the AStA

Clothes swap corner, snipping disco, repair café: how we can use resources responsibly is the focus of the Sustainability Week organised by the General Students' Committee (AStA) at the University of Oldenburg. From 29 May to 2 June, workshops, lectures and film screenings on the topics of clothing, food, water, energy and mobility will take place on campus. The events and information stands in the cafeteria foyer offer the opportunity to find out about sustainability initiatives at the university and in the city and to take action yourself.

Do-it-yourself projects, upcycling and swap meets are not just a leisure activity for many people today, but also a conviction. This is also the case for the three students Theresa Frößler, Anna Klare and Laila Utermark. Together, they are committed to a modern and sustainable project - a clothes swap corner. "We came up with the idea at a clothes swap party. Such parties take place at various locations in Oldenburg. However, they are often either so well attended that you can hardly get through the aisles or they are badly timed. A permanent clothes swap corner would therefore be ideal," explains AStA advisor for Ecology, Sustainability and Transport Laila Utermark. Together with the Studentenwerk and the university, the students developed the clothes exchange corner as part of the "Introduction to Sustainability" course and opened it on Monday in the cafeteria on Uhlhornsweg.

A locker, a mirror, some decoration and a "how to use" list - students can now swap clothes with each other in the permanent facility and thus give their trousers, tops and accessories a longer life. For Student Union Managing Director Ted Thurner, there is no question of supporting the project: "The clothes swap corner is a great addition to the existing book swap shelf that we run together with the AStA and fits seamlessly into the Studentenwerk's sustainability concept." Vice President for Studies, Teaching and Gender equality Prof Dr Sabine Kyora is also impressed by the project: "After all, concepts of sustainability also play a major role in our range of courses. The fact that the students are putting ideas from the seminars into practice is of course particularly welcome." Over the next few days, other initiatives and projects will be presenting their ideas and concepts for a sustainable lifestyle. The programme will include questions on effective climate policy and sustainable mobility.