Students participate in the 2024 Spring Sustainability Market in the Oval, which includes local sustainable businesses. Credit: Courtesy of Olivia Pace
Spring has sprung, and with it, the annual Spring Sustainability Market is about to bloom.
The fourth annual Spring Sustainability Market — organized by the Undergraduate Student Government’s Sustainability Committee — will take place on the South Oval Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. as part of Ohio State’s yearly Time for Change Week.
Beginning Saturday, Time for Change Week marks seven days full of educational and recreational events focused on raising environmental awareness at Ohio State, according to its website.
The market is a collaboration between USG and Time for Change, highlighting the connection between shopping and sustainability, said Annalise Khandelwal, a fifth-year in environmental science and co-director of USG’s Sustainability Committee.
“People in general and college students generate so much waste annually and throughout their lives,” Khandelwal said. “By providing them with an opportunity to shop locally and sustainably for a day, we feel that we are giving back to the university and helping the university and our students reduce their environmental footprint and help the planet be a better place.”
This year’s dozens of local vendors will offer items ranging from popsicles, local produce and prepackaged food to jewelry, clothing and shampoo bars, said Olivia Pace, a third-year in information systems and deputy director of community engagement for the Sustainability Committee.
Pace said the market is also designed to help encourage conversation between attendees and participating business owners.
“We really focus on bringing in students and local vendors from the Columbus area, which is a sustainable practice,” Pace said. “As well as, during our event, we have a giveaway that is based around students going around and asking vendors about their sustainable practices, and then they get a ticket and then we do a drawing for that giveaway the following week.”
Giveaway prizes include reusable water bottles and camping gear from Recreational Equipment, Inc., better known as REI, Pace said.
Many of the vendors are second-hand thrift stores, Pace said. This includes Genie Babie, an online shop that specializes in curating vintage feminine clothing, said Sania Mohamed, the shop’s owner.
“My main goal is not really to sell stuff — it’s just [to] offer a different perspective of how to buy things,” Mohamed said.
Mohamed primarily sources clothing from thrift stores, community members and garage and estate sales. She said Genie Babie — now in its fourth year — grew out of a desire to shop with intention.
“I was beginning to thrift more and more, I would say, by 2020, 2021,” Mohamed said. “I really just did not want to buy new because I learned more about the ethical practices of most modern brands.”
Mohamed, who has participated in the Sustainability Market for multiple years, said the event stands out because of the accessibility it offers to Ohio State students.
“We talk a lot about sustainability, and I feel like we don’t focus as much [on] what that means to the individual person,” Mohamed said. “Accessibility and sustainability go so much hand in hand.”
In addition to the environmental benefits of shopping locally, the event also offers a valuable opportunity to connect with the Columbus community, Mohamed said.
“The trend of buying new and from big corporations that aren’t giving back to communities is just rising,” Mohamed said. “So, I think it’s really important to emphasize the importance of giving back to your own local communities.”
Pace said the market is still accepting applications from local businesses, including those created by students. Interested vendors can contact [email protected] for more information.
