Green Corner

Upcycling started as a club for creating art projects out of materials that would otherwise be thrown out. It has since evolved into a creative release with an environmentally-friendly focus. Last year, in our search for materials, we stumbled upon a forgotten treasure in the basement of the Davis Center: a room of abandoned clothes and accessories.When we asked if we could use the clothes for projects, Community Service Coordinator Elizabeth Reyes presented us with the opportunity to take it over and revive the Exeter Exchange. The first day we stepped through the doors, we were faced with a thick layer of dust and piles of miscellaneous clothes. The stained floor was littered with leaves and dirt, and more than a few spiders had taken up permanent residence. It took us three hours to clear away the first layers of grime and attempt to organize the chaos. The inventory surprised us; most of the clothes were too nice to turn into scrap quilts like we had planned. There were cuddly L.L. Bean and Eddie Bauer sweaters, Banana Republic dress shirts and Gap Jeans with the tags still on. After a little folding and creative organizing, the shelf of colorful sweaters didn’t look half bad.Our opening day was in the spring of 2015, and since then we have opened most Sundays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. At the moment, all items are one dollar unless specified otherwise and all of the proceeds go to a charity of our choice at the end of the semester. Last spring we partnered with ESSO Haiti Pen Pals to send clothes and that semester’s profit to the Haiti Relief Fund.We meet as a club on Monday nights at 7 p.m. in the Exchange to organize, discuss our future plans and make art projects. Our past artistic endeavors include snowflakes that decorated grill last winter, library card flowers, an Earth Day sign and the beginnings of a quilt. This spring, we are hoping to plant a bottle garden somewhere on campus and create more art to decorate the Exchange.The work of Upcycling has kept a whole room of nice clothes from disuse and hundreds of old library cards from piling up in landfills. It is incredible how much trash produced in the world is actually reusable and able to be repurposed. We are trying to do our part on campus to reduce Exeter’s footprint. The next time you go to discard an old jacket, bring it to the Exchange instead!