More donations to good causes, less to landfill during move-out
June 22, 2010 -- The totals have been calculated for SF State's 2010 Sustainable Move Out, when students donated 50,000 pounds of items to Goodwill and doubled their food donations to the San Francisco Food Bank, compared to last year.
The Goodwill truck and donation tent that was on campus during move-out day to encourage students to donate their unwanted items.
Rather than sending clothes, lamps and kitchen items to landfill, students donated such items to Goodwill. By donating 1,500 pounds of non-perishable food to the San Francisco Food Bank, students also helped provide enough food for about 1,000 meals for low-income individuals in the city.
New this year was the collection of household cleaning products and toiletries. More than 400 bottles of dish detergent, shampoo and conditioner were collected by Green Hotel, an organization that redistributes the products to local homeless shelters and women's shelters.
"This is a great way for students to end their academic year and leave something behind for the San Francisco community," said Caitlin Steele, sustainability programs manager.
Students donated items at drop boxes in residence halls throughout May. On move-out day, a large Goodwill truck and collection tent, along with plenty of volunteers, made it easy for students to know where to drop off different items.
Now in it is fourth year, the Sustainable Move Out program allowed University Housing to recycle 56 percent of its waste in May 2010, compared to 19 percent in May 2006, the year before the program began.
Future residents can also help reduce waste on campus by bringing less when they move in to dorms at the beginning of the academic year. "Our advice to students and their families is to bring less to campus in the first place and to communicate with your future roommate to avoid bringing duplicate items," said Jim Bolinger, acting director of Facilities and Residential Life. "This really helps us decrease the amount of things discarded during move out."
Find out more about Sustainability at SF State at: www.sfsu.edu/~sustain/
-- Elaine Bible
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