Thrift Bazaar to Save the Planet

On Nov. 23, the AUBG Sustainability Club organized a thrift bazaar in collaboration with Unboxd, a startup from last semester’s Elevate season. Students were able to buy or sell old clothes in ABF, while listening to catchy music.

For the Sustainability Club, the bazaar is an attempt to make Bulgaria greener. The club wishes to inspire people to care about the environment and take action to help fight climate change. Thus, the thrift bazaar is a way for the club to promote sustainable habits among AUBG students.

Sana Aikyn, a junior at AUBG, who participated as a seller said that she believes that “the idea of thrift shopping is sustainable.” She added: It takes a lot of materials to make new clothes. So, if you can reuse and find your own style from thrift shopping, then I think it is definitely more sustainable.

Unboxd, a small startup created by AUBG alumni Nikol Peeva, was also present at the bazaar. The company has an online platform for reselling second-hand items. They brought racks, items for selling, and helped with the marketing of the event. “This is our second time organizing a Pop-Up Bazaar in AUBG with the Sustainability Club”, Nikol shared. She added, “As both of our organizations believe in bettering our environment & making a positive climate impact, deciding to work together for this event came with ease. The Sustainability Club is of great value for the AUBG campus & Blagoevgrad region, and my team is happy to have worked with them for the second time this year.”

When asked what makes this club’s events special, long-time member Jurgen Gjini answered: We have an impact on the community. He said that for him, it is valuable that the Sustainability Club’s events are not just a one-time thing, but something that can inspire lasting social change.

During the event, the club sold clothes that saved 201 000 liters of water, and 469 kg of carbon dioxide that would have been produced if the items were sold brand new. All of the profits are going to the Charmaghz charity, which creates a space for critical thinking for children ages 18 and under in Afghanistan by providing mobile library services.

The club’s marketing head, Nicole Kishkin, shared: The club isn’t just a student club for us. It is a lifestyle. Building on that, the president of the club, Gabriela Tsvetanova, explained that the club is just a stepping stone for her and that she wishes to continue doing environmental work after she graduates. Nicole, Jurgen, Bindi Usukhbayr, the club’s founder, and Aelita Khusnutdinova, the club’s vice president, said that they share the same sentiment and would love to do something sustainability-related as their future occupation.

“We are running out of time, for real,” Gabriela said, “I do want to make a difference at AUBG and make it greener. I want the progress that we make in AUBG to spread to Blago and Bulgaria. I want people to know and I want people to start caring.”

Nodding her head in agreement, Bindi said: We as a club set an example. If we can do that, everyone is capable of that.