Photo Courtesy of junior Jane Culbreath.
The Goodwill Outlet at 880 Industrial Way in San Luis Obispo, also known as The Bins, is an affordable and sustainable adventure that many San Luis Obispo High School students love.
Clothes that are cheap and that students pay for by the pound; What more could SLOHS students ask for?
At the Goodwill Outlet, donations and unwanted clothes from the main Goodwill storefront are tossed into large bins to be sorted through. Clothing is charged by the pound, making it much cheaper than a typical thrift store. The bins are quickly growing in popularity among SLOHS students as they discover the fun and excitement that comes with sorting through piles of old clothes.
“It’s extraordinarily cheap and way more fun to find stuff because you never know what you’re gonna get. It’s like a mystery box, like a box of chocolates. It’s very unique and you can buy really weird bootleg stuff,” said freshman Jack Culbreath.
Interesting secondhand and vintage clothing is the main commodity at The Bins.
“My friend found me a pair of overalls that’s my favorite thing in my closet right now,” said junior Christain Cuevillas.
Along with the mystery and excitement, the prices are what lured many students to the bins.
“I like finding grandpa sweaters for cheap. It’s kind of a free-for-all and it’s much cheaper. Usually when you go to a thrift store they go through it and they put a price tag on it, but really, you can just weigh it and they give you a price,” said junior Savanna Henderson.
Despite the low prices and adventures, there are some drawbacks to shopping at the bins. Heat, disappointment, and unwanted surprises in the bins all contribute to the experience.
“Dude, it’s like you’re standing in a microwave. Sometimes there’s an absurd amount of people there and they don’t care about COVID,” said Culbreath.
Many persist throughout the discomfort, however, in search of the best finds.
“Sometimes you’re going to find a little bit of pee on the clothes, and you might have to pick up underwear when you’re going through, but really I’m not bothered by it because you find something good at the end,” said Henderson.
Thrifting in general is a far more sustainable option than buying clothing firsthand, and thrifting at the bins directly saves clothing from ending up in landfills. The prospect of bringing new life to a piece of clothing is inspiring to many and is a step in the direction of sustainability. As we all know, we must reduce, reuse, and recycle, in that order. By reducing firsthand clothing consumption and reusing secondhand clothes, SLOHS students are making a difference.
