October 09, 2025
SIU community can pick up, donate items at new Sustainability Office Free Store
The Free Store is now open at the Student Center, giving students, faculty and staff the opportunity to claim items they can use at no cost and donate items they no longer need to become someone else’s treasure.
An initiative of the SIU Sustainability Office, the store is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Thursday and Friday.
Donations from the SIU community can be dropped off any time the office is open, typically 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office is located on the south end of the second floor of the Student Center near the International Lounge.
“The Free Store is a campus, community-driven program that encourages the reuse of functional items, reduces landfill waste and provides students and campus community members with access to essential goods and valuable resources at no cost,” said Mamatha Byreddy, a graduate assistant in the Sustainability Office. “Contributions of gently used, functional items not only help support students and the SIU community by saving them money, but they also strengthen the university’s culture of sustainability and sharing while fostering a culture of care and collaboration among students, faculty, staff and campus departments.”
What’s OK and what’s not
The Free Store welcomes donations of the following in good, usable condition:
- Kitchen items, including plates, bowls, cups, mugs, cooking pans, small pots, cutlery, utensils, storage containers, reusable bottles, lunch boxes, small appliances and gadgets.
- School and office supplies, including books, textbooks, notebooks, pens/pencils and more.
- Sports equipment and games.
- Small electronics.
- Home décor and household items.
- DVDs/CDs.
- Toys.
Prohibited items include:
- Clothing and shoes.
- Furniture and bedding.
- Food and toiletries.
- Large or broken electronics or appliances.
- Chemicals, large paint containers.
For more information, visit the website, email sustainability@siu.edu or call 618-453-2846.