As an intern with the UT Zero Waste Program, Environment & Sustainability BDP Student Annie Liu connected sustainability with business through their work at the Surplus REuse Store.
"The most rewarding aspect of my experience was connecting sustainability with business and seeing how people can incorporate zero waste practices into their life while continuing to spend money and consume goods.”
What is the title of your research project?
How does consumer messaging with media dictate business decisions in today’s digital economy?
Where did you intern?
I interned with the UT Zero Waste Program in Austin, TX
How did you find this internship?
I found the position posted on Handshake and applied through there.
What kind of work did you do as an intern?
As an intern, my primary tasks were to organize the Surplus REuse Store, introduce the story system to customers, and help them check out on store days. I worked with Excel to track sales and how customers heard about the store. Finally, I had a special project, where I planned and lad a tabling event on campus to introduce UT Surplus to the student body and to discuss UT’s zero waste goals.
What was the most rewarding aspect of your Connecting Experience?
The most rewarding aspect of my experience was connecting sustainability with business, as well as seeing how people can incorporate zero-waste practices into their life, while continuing to spend money and consume goods. The store drew a variety of customers: those who are environmentally conscious, people wanted to save a bit of money, resellers hoping to resell items for profit, and more. I learned that non-sustainability-based drivers can still result in environmentally friendly actions.
In what ways has this Connecting Experience shaped your plans for the future?
This Connecting Experience taught me a lot about my role as a consumer and the consequences of my actions in terms of generating and reducing waste. While I don't plan on working in a waste-related field, I have become more aware of my personal spending habits. I try to buy what I can from secondhand sources. Goods don’t have to be new, like clothes and furniture. I also take more time to determine if something I want is just for short-term satisfaction or something I will fully use and get a good investment out of.