Students living on campus unloaded their unwanted but reusable items during Move Out 2011, resulting in more than 11 tons of materials collected and donated to local charities. This year's collection was nearly 17 percent larger than in 2010.
The collection took place in residence halls and at Northwood Community Apartments during Move Out week, April 25-30. The Move Out program has been a collaboration between Waste Management Services and Housing since 1990.
"The benefit of this service is it connects the Move Out program to the broader community," said Alison Richardson, recycling coordinator for Waste Management Services. "The program helps reduce trash sent to the landfills by giving students another outlet to dispose of their unwanted items. It also provides them with the opportunity to give back to the community, as we donate all the collected items to local nonprofits such as Purple Heart, Food Gatherers and Salvation Army."
The Move Out program supports the university's sustainability initiative, with the goal of integrating sustainable practices into the campus culture. By increasing opportunities and providing resources to the campus community to act in an environmentally responsible manner, the university continues to support its commitment to sustainability.
The Move Out program's slogan, "Don't Dump It, Donate It", encouraged student residents across campus to donate clothing, shoes, bedding, toiletries, household items, small appliances, and non-perishable food. Collection boxes lined the residence halls, while carts were set-up near trash containers at the Northwood Community Apartments to aid students in the purge of excess belongings.
For larger items like carpeting, furniture and wood, students were directed to drop their items at the designated "take it or leave it" collection areas, which allowed others to browse the reusable items.
Collection totals from this year's event reached 11.56 tons, a 1.67-ton increase from last year. Clothing was the No. 1 item collected (4.6 tons), with household items following in second (2.74 tons).