Trash to Treasure, hosted by Trinity Sustainability, is the largest student-to-student thrifting event at Trinity. Students can stop by the Naughton Institute to purchase second-hand items at a low cost. All funds go directly into running the event. Some of the items you can expect to find are kitchenware, bedding, kitchen utensils, clothing, electronics, board games and more. It’s a popular and well-visited event, so the trick is to get there early, as the best stuff is known to go very fast. The last time it ran was during Freshers’ Week and it made a return this Refreshers’ Week on January 23rd with an enthusiastic response.
The first of these thrifting initiatives was held in 2019 but was suspended due to Covid, until it was revived in 2023 by a fourth-year science and sociology student, Nicole Hennessy, who helped to form it into the success it is today. In 2024, the initiative made €4,500 in profit and the estimated amount of money saved by the students who shopped was €32,000. Everything, from the items for sale to the crates that contain them, is recycled, and the proceeds from the previous event are used to support the following one. So, if you visited the Naughton Institute and scored a good deal on some new plates, mugs or gym socks, you’ll be able to continue enjoying the event in future years.
The function is presently run by Amelia Flanagan, Environmental Officer in the TCDSU/AMLCT, who brought Trash to Treasure back for Refreshers’ week. Her reason for this was partially thanks to many Erasmus students asking her if they could drop off items when the term ends. Similarly, she knew that new students would be coming in with a need for living essentials at a low price. She took over the operation with a natural love for second-hand fashion and teaching others how easy it can be to live sustainably: “There’s a rhetoric that living sustainably is expensive, like buying organic food, but this event proves otherwise.” Beneficial upgrades to the event management were the venue change from the Sports Hall to the Science Gallery and the larger group of people to draw volunteers from, thanks to the Student Union (SU) getting involved. Jane Hacket and Sarah Murphy from Trinity Sustainability, Simon Evans from the SU and John Parnell from Estates and Facilities were a great aid in this, according to Amelia.
The thrifting spectacle was another resounding success on the 23rd: scarves, spoons, games, pillows, jumpers, books as well as other items were spread across tables, hung from racks or stacked in crates for students to choose from. Some gems were a rice cooker and air fryer, alongside trendy pieces of clothing and crockery sets, the latter of which are extremely popular. Like with the previous functions, nearly everything was sold, and the leftover items will be reutilized for the next one. Amelia also mentioned that some blankets and men’s coats were sold to a local homeless shelter as it was in the middle of winter. As for the future of Trash to Treasure, she’d love to expand the effort but keep it within the Trinity campus, and overall, continue teaching students how accessible sustainable living can be: “Caring about the environment means caring about people, and caring about people means caring about the environment.” We can’t wait to see what the next Trash to Treasure holds in September.
