Into the Free Pile

Image from BSC Sustainability

The clothing featured in The LoopCycle photo shoot was pulled from two of Berkeley’s co-ops, Lothlorien (Loth) and Casa Zimbabwe (CZ).

The wooden treehouse built on top of a towering redwood tree was the first thing that caught my eye as we walked into Loth, UC Berkeley’s vegetarian themed co-op house. Before stepping foot into the house, we immediately felt the culture and earthy feel of Loth. The stepping stones surrounded by the garden growing brought us to the Free Pile where we pulled the pieces featured in our LoopCycle photo shoot.

From clothing to school supplies to electronics, the Free Pile holds an array of reusable items donated by the co-op residents. Other people are then free to take items from the closet and continue the cycle. The BSC Reuse Coordinator manages these closets keeping them organized and clean. Towards the end of the year when students move out, the Free Pile gets flooded with items and the BSC Reuse Coordinator distributes excess materials to nonprofit organizations, which is a great way to recycle materials and help those in need.
 
The Free Pile provides a space for people to share and reuse clothing, which reduces the amount of waste that would accumulate if the items were simply thrown away because they no longer fit or are no longer in style. You can find an assortment of items ranging from household items, lighting fixtures, apparel, accessories, and footwear.

For more information about the Waste Reduction and Reuse Program check out: Recycling in the BSC

See the photo shoot featuring clothes from the Free Pile: The LoopCycle Photo Shoot