Summit Free Market Hopes to Become Weekly Event

There are many things Summit High School senior Claire Harrison, chair of the Summit Free Market committee, loves about being a driving force behind the student-run initiative that enables Summit residents to share unwanted, reusable items in a completely free and convenient way.

Not only does the market help residents reduce their negative impact on the planet, Harrison said, but also it provides community members with a chance to acquire items they might otherwise have been unable to obtain.

The volunteer said it is not uncommon to see bicycles that previously may have been discarded go right from trunk to trunk. She also recalled watching as a beautifully-crafted canoe found an elated new owner. 

Held biannually on back-to-back Saturdays in the spring and fall, the Free Market will take place next from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 and 19 at the Transfer Station located on New Providence Avenue. 

But Harrison said thanks to the recently-awarded $10,000 Sustainable Jersey Grant, which will be put toward building a permanent structure, the Free Market could become a weekly, year-round event. 

For the committee, hearing the news that Summit had received the grant was "phenomenal," according to Harrison, who added that building an on-site structure has been a long-term goal.  

"I'm so excited," said Harrison, who began her work with the committee in the seventh grade. "It's unbelievable - just the fact that I've been working on it for so long and finally, this is a tangible first step."

More than just a Free Market building, the committee would like to see the structure serve as an education center, Harrison explained. 

"What we're thinking now is having it be a self-sustaining building, meaning powered by solar, having compostable toilets. I think it would set a great example. This is on a smaller scale, but absolutely possible," she said. "We would like to have it open every Saturday with garage doors that close and lock and have volunteers staff it from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m."

Down the road, the committee would also like to see an outdoor classroom on site that would round out the vision for the Transfer Station. 

While the grant will help get the ball rolling, the committee recognizes that it will need to do a significant amount of fundraising in order to see the project to fruition. Harrison said city government officials, in particular, Mayor Ellen Dickson, have been huge proponents of the Free Market. Efforts to raise money in support of the new building will begin after the Oct. 19th market.

The first event, hosted by Dickson, will introduce the Summit Conservancy billed as "a great new idea that is taking root in Summit," at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25 at Dickson's home. (Download a copy of the invitation by clicking here.)

As of April, the Summit Free Market has saved over 46 tons of unwanted, reusable items from landfills or the incinerator since its creation in 2009. Harrison said one reason for the market's success is the "tremendous positive response from the community." Many residents have expressed interest in making the market a weekly event. In the interim, items can be posted and claimed throughout the year via the Free Market's website. 

Summit Free Market can always use helping hands. To volunteer at the seasonal event at the City of Summit Transfer Station, please email: summitfreemarket@cityofsummit.org.

For a list of restricted items and more information, please visit www.summitfreemarket.org.