It's a tale as old as time... you're coming to campus for the first time and you aren't sure what to bring with you. Well fear not, we have a handy dandy list of the things that you might not want to bring with you when you come to campus. This will save you a bunch of space in your suitcases and bags, making your life on campus a little bit easier. Although this is not as exhaustive list, we have some of the big things listed here. And of course if you aren't sure about a particular item, feel free to reach out to us for more info. Printer It can be very tempting to think that lugging that big printer  from home is a good idea... trust me it isn't. It's very rare that you will actually need to print any of your assignments, most are submitted electronically. And if you do need to print something, there are hundreds of printers on campus that you can use almost 24/7. Board games / video games I am not saying don't play board games and video games, what I am...

As much as it pains me to say it, summer is finally coming to an end with the start of school right around the corner.  For many people including myself, this means moving time. For those of you not familiar with moving time, it can be defined as: That last minute scramble trying to figure what you have, what you don’t and how you’re going to fit it into a tiny SUV to transport it to your new home.  It’s a stressful and exciting time all at once but we at the Free Store have a few suggestions to make your experience a little less daunting. Understand your living arrangements. I know it may sound obvious but think carefully about where you’re living and with whom. If you’re living in a traditional residence such as Thompson, Stanton or Marchand you probably won’t need any kitchen supplies as you’ll be spending a lot of your time in the dining hall especially during the first few weeks. Even if you’re an avid baker and want to show off your culinary prowess you probabl...

Packing to move to university can quickly turn into a Tetris-like nightmare. Fitting your life into one minivan isn’t easy- how about fitting all those essentials into a suitcase and carry-on, a challenge presented to many international and out-of-province students each September? What if I told you you’ll be able to find almost everything you’ll need once you arrive, available right on campus, for FREE? Let me introduce you to your new favourite place - the Free Store , a converted house where donated items are cleaned, sorted, and offered back to the university community, free of charge. Though you can downsize all you want, there are still certain items you’ll need whether moving into a university residence or an apartment off-campus. Here is a list of the top things you’ll need during your time as a student- but should NOT pack! Basically any kitchen items Most incoming students will benefit from the all new Dining Hall and will realize they have hardly any need for th...

I know this sounds a little counter-intuitive.... you know, make sure you don't pack for your trip back to university. But if this sounds a little out of the box, then it's clear you don't know about the Free Store. Let's make this brief in case you do know about the Free Store . Every year the Office of Campus Sustainability collects all the stuff that students leave behind on their way out the door for the summer. We clean it, fix it, sort it, whatever it.... and get it back into the hands of students via this nifty little shop called the Free Store. And so the Free Store is perfectly named as it is a store where everything is free. We do this because we are reducing waste on campus and conserving precious resources. Now that you know the whole story, here is a quick list of the top five things that we get so much of that there is no point for you to bring your own to campus this year. Binders! Don't do it man, just don't do it. We have hundreds o...

It's the end of the summer and you know what that means? MOVING TIME!!!!!! Yes, the moment has come for that time-honoured tradition whereby thousands of students flock to the University of Ottawa and hunker down for 8 months of intense working, studying, and partying. And for about 3,000 students who will be living in residences, this will be their first trip to Ottawa. Now being the helpful people we are here at the Office of Campus Sustainability, we thought that we would share our top 5 tips for ensuring a green move-in here on campus. In fact, even if it isn't your first year, this list could really help you out. Don't bring your entire closet with you! I know it is tempting to make sure that you have hundreds of clothing / accessory options available to you when you arrive on campus, but take it from us, traveling light is the way to go. There are tonnes of free shirts available at virtually every major festival on campus and let's face it, after your f...

Wow, these past couple of days have been crazy busy. On Tuesday September 4th we launched our special International Students edition of the Free Store. We do this every year to help give international students a leg up on getting the things they need to start out their lives here in Ottawa. Also, we like to make freegans happy. Saying that it was successful would be an understatement. I think I counted about 200 people on the first day before I stopped keeping track. We easy gave away 2 to 3 tonnes of stuff over the course of the two days and I have to tell you that the experience was exhausting. Needless to say I am very proud of the volunteers who came out to lend a hand. And I also want to give a special shout out to our partners (the International Office and Community Life Services) for their continued support. The Free Store is important for a couple of reasons. First, it diverts tonnes of waste from landfill every year. Second, it demonstrates...

So you are coming to the University of Ottawa this fall and you want to be as green as humanly possible. Okay, well I am actually certain that this is one of the last things on your mind, with all the panicked packing and trying to squeeze out a couple of more summer moments with the friends and family. But I thought that I might give you a couple of tips for when you get to campus. We are Bottled Water Free here so don't freak out when you get to the caf or the Pivik and start searching around frantically. To facilitate this transition into your new bottled water free lifestyle, the SFUO puts reusable water canteens in every 101 Kit. And if you didn't get a kit, stop by the SFUO's Sustainability Centre and they'll fix you up with a canteen for free. A lot of you are new to Ottawa and are going to bring a bunch of luggage. Pack light ! You are going to be inundated with a tonne of swag and free "stuff". You will have memorabilia coming out the wazoo. S...