The College of Staten Island’s Office of Sustainability will once again host its popular CSI SWAP—a free community reuse event designed to reduce waste, promote sustainability, and bring the Staten Island community together through the simple act of sharing. The event will take place on Saturday, December 6, 2025, from noon to 3:00pm in the Center for the Arts (1P) on the CSI campus. Early drop-offs begin at 11:00am.

CSI SWAP invites students, faculty, staff, and Staten Island residents to bring clean, reusable items such as clothing, books, shoes, toys, games, and housewares—and to take home something new, completely free of charge. What one person no longer needs might be exactly what another has been looking for, creating a cycle of reuse that keeps thousands of pounds of materials out of landfills each year.

For this year’s event, CSI is partnering with the NYC Department of Sanitation and the LES Ecology Center to accept small household electronics and textiles, and the event will also feature a partnership with BIKENY’s Recycle-a-Bicycle, which will accept bicycles in any condition for restoration and reuse.

The CSI SWAP grew out of the Stop ‘N’ Swap® program created by GrowNYC, which promotes reuse and waste reduction across New York City. CSI Sustainability first hosted a Stop ‘N’ Swap in 2019, collecting nearly 3,000 pounds of donations and rehoming 80% of those items on the same day. Since then, the event has grown significantly, both in participation and environmental impact.

In 2022, two Swap events drew nearly 160 attendees and diverted more than 2,000 pounds of goods from landfills. The following year saw the program reach new heights—more than 2,900 pounds of donations were collected, with 75% successfully redistributed or recycled. In 2024, the event was officially rebranded as CSI SWAP, marking the first time CSI hosted its own independently organized reuse event, achieving an impressive 77.72% diversion rate.

This year’s May 2025 Swap continued the tradition of success, welcoming over 120 participants and collecting 2,500 pounds of donations, of which more than 83% were diverted from waste through reuse, recycling, or donation. The event even introduced bike donations for the first time, expanding its community impact.

As the December 2025 event approaches, CSI Sustainability is building on these achievements, as evidenced by their partnership with NYC Sanitation, LES Ecology Center, and BIKENY’s Recycle-a-Bicycle restoration program, while strengthening its commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement. 

“Our CSI SWAP events are some of CSI Sustainability’s most well-attended events,” said CSI Sustainability Program Manager Nora Santiago. “Bringing the community together twice a year to promote sustainability, meet local needs, and foster volunteerism, is a powerful example of how small actions can have a big impact. With a focus on reuse, meeting community needs, and fostering volunteerism and civic engagement, the event is a testament to the strength of the Staten Island community and the collective desire to make a positive impact.”

For more information and to get more involved, contact sustainability@csi.cuny.edu.