ELI students launched Barter 4 Better, a movement to combat overconsumption and encourage community in Isla Vista. The goal of this movement is to demonstrate to residents that a significant amount of waste can be avoided if resources are shared.
ELI students, Juliette Allayaud and Lula Rosenbach, decided that bartering, which is the act of trading with others without money, was the solution to overconsumption in Isla Vista. Items, skills, and homemade products are viable commodities for trading. Bartering creates a circular economy, which is the flow of repair, reuse and recycling of goods. In this way bartering creates a circle of awesomeness for all involved. As they like to say, come with something good… leave with something Better!
On April 19th, Juliette and Lula hosted their first bartering event, bringing together over 40 people in “Trigo Pasado Park” in Isla Vista. They spread the word for weeks by tabling, passing out flyers and having many many conversations about the art of bartering. On a sunny Sunday people laden with trinkets and skills began to appear. Guitar lessons, clothes, food, bike fixing and palm reading were just few of the many featured talents and items. Once the trading began, the community feeling was instantaneous. There was excitement about continuing the bartering movement and extending its outreach and participants further. People walked away with new items and skill lessons set up, and a new sense of the potential for the Isla Vista community.