The 2024 Sustainapalooza was held in the Great Hall at the Memorial Union on Tuesday and featured over 40 tabling organizations, locally sourced food and beverage options, a clothing swap and opportunities for attendees to participate in sustainable practices.
The theme for the event this year was “Our green promise, our sustainable future,” and focused on the individual choices that impact sustainability.
Merry Rankin, the director of sustainability at Iowa State, spoke about the theme of the event and the importance of sustainability.
“We’ve tried to carry promises that we can all make to ourselves and the planet through these different opportunities here tonight,” Rankin said. “I am so excited as awareness continues to build and interest continues to build and then people are able to come and participate.”
In addition to opportunities to speak with organizations, attendees were also invited to participate in “Green-it-Yourself” activities, such as creating first aid kits out of recycled clothing and Mason jar soup mixes to take home.
Veronica Buis, a senior in dietetics and a member of Students Helping Our Peers (SHOP), spoke about the opportunities for awareness that the event provided.
“I think it’s very progressive,” Buis said. “It’s a good opportunity to spread awareness for different options for people…whether it’s food insecurity, recycling or just being more aware of your surroundings. It’s a good exposure event.”
Steve Kohtz, the recycling and special events coordinator for Iowa State, said he loves Sustainapalooza and enjoyed the locally sourced food and recycled art. Kohtz also discussed feedback from students on recycling efforts on campus.
“Students are interested in recycling, mainly because there are questions about how Ames does it versus how ISU does it,” Kohtz said. “There’s often been misnomers around recycling…I’ve visited all our vendors. I know where it goes and make sure it’s taken care of.”
Attendee Christa Andersen said it was important to spread awareness of sustainable choices that individuals can make.
“If everybody does a little bit where they can when they can, it will make a difference,” Andersen said.
Attendee Terry Potter said to lose the need to reuse and recycle in the first place.
“One person can’t make a significant contribution, but I think people working together to recycle plastics, to compost food waste… if you don’t need it, don’t buy it,” Potter said.
Anna Do, a junior studying chemistry, said she came to Sustainapalooza for the clothing swap, where gently used clothes could be traded.
“Even though I usually go thrifting, it’s never the same, especially here in Ames,” Do said. “I like how people are getting into actually swapping clothes and getting clothes back too.”
Do also shared her thoughts on the food provided at the event.
“They gave a lot of variety,” Do said. “I didn’t think they were going to have food in general…It’s pretty cool that they had catering.”
Paige Higby, a graduate of Iowa State and an outreach assistant with Story County Conservation, said Sustainapalooza is a great way to spread awareness on what students can do in their own homes.
“It’s definitely nice to see this much support and supporting businesses. It’s like resources you wouldn’t think Ames would have,” Higby said.
Higby also touched on the impact that individual choices have on the sustainability cause.
“The little things that you can do personally adds a lot into the big scheme of things,” Higby said. “Change starts with you.”
ISU Sustainability, partnered with the Symposium on Sustainability, has several events planned in the coming months for Earth Month in April. For more information, visit the organization’s Facebook page.
