When college students move out of their residence halls, they can generate a lot of waste. In addition to the normal things like linens, futons, small chairs, bedding, small drawer sets, mini-fridges, microwaves, lamps, books and clothing, there can be unusual items discarded as well.
“Last year, one suite donated an antique rocking horse,” said Amanda Dickes, Residential Education area coordinator.
“We also found a wooden scarecrow in one of the donation bins,” added Leslie Newsome, also an area coordinator.
From Saturday, May 2, through Saturday, May 9, the day after Commencement, students will have numerous opportunities to donate and recycle items they don’t want to keep:
• Decorations, clothing, small operational electronic appliances and other small items will be collected in the lobbies of the residence halls by Move Out partners Dismas House, ARC of Nashville, ThriftSmart and Mending Hearts. These nonprofit organizations will sell the items to raise money.
• Furniture and other large items will be collected by the Salvation Army in central locations outside the residence halls.
• Non-perishable food items will be collected by Second Harvest Food Bank in lobbies of the residence halls.
• Special locations will be offered to take non-working electronic appliances like dorm refrigerators, computers, TVs, etc., to be safely recycled.
“Move Out is a great opportunity to keep items out of the waste stream,” said Jennifer Hackett, Vanderbilt University recycling coordinator. “Working together with our nonprofit partners ensures the items get recycled and reused.”
Recycling is also a focus at Commencement and related activities. Vanderbilt will continue the plastic water bottle recycling that was so successful last year. Vanderbilt graduates and guests consume an average of 20,000 of them at Commencement activities.
“In 2008, we recycled 1.5 tons of plastic from Commencement activities,” said Hackett. “Our goal is to recycle as many bottles as possible when we have bottles, and to look at reducing the use of bottles overall.”
The university will also offer glass recycling for the first time this year at The Party and at the traditional “Strawberries and Champagne” event following Commencement.
In addition to recycling plastic bottles, glass bottles and aluminum cans, The Party will recycle the cardboard boxes in which the food and beverages are transported.
“The Commencement Office and Residential Education have both worked really hard to initiate and improve green practices,” said Andrea George, director of Vanderbilt’s Sustainability and Environmental Management Office. “We hope to continuously improve our efforts each year.”
Dismas House is a nonprofit organization founded in 1974 to provide transitional housing and support services to men and women who have been recently released from prison or jail. Dismas House provides a unique form of crime prevention by working with at-risk individuals to integrate them with community volunteers, college students and staff.
The Arc of Davidson County provides services to adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in 20 Middle Tennessee counties, through a contract with the Tennessee Department of Mental Retardation Services Medicaid Waiver Program.
ThriftSmart Stores, America’s first franchised thrift store, offers a retail thrift store concept to create jobs, serve the poor with an affordable shopping opportunity, and support local charities with 100 percent of the profits, while re-cycling gently used clothing and household items.
The Salvation Army is one of the world’s largest providers of social aid, well known for its evangelical, social and charitable work. In addition to community centers and disaster relief, the organization does work in refugee camps, especially among displaced people. The Salvation Army seeks to bring Christian salvation to the poor, destitute and hungry by meeting both their physical and spiritual needs, but its ministry extends to all, regardless of ages, sex, color or creed.
Mending Hearts is a residential recovery-oriented therapeutic community for women who are or are at risk of becoming homeless as a result of their addiction to drugs, alcohol or both. Many of these women have spent time on the streets as prostitutes, time in our jails as prisoners and time under bridges and on park benches as homeless people. These women are ready to set their lives straight, address their addictions and become law-abiding, tax-paying productive citizens again.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is one of the largest and most comprehensive of over 200 food banks and food distribution centers nationwide. Second Harvest collects food that would otherwise be wasted, inspects and sorts this food, and distributes it to soup kitchens, pantries and shelters serving the hungry.
For more news about Vanderbilt’s recycling and other sustainability activities, please visit the SustainVU website www.vanderbilt.edu/sustainvu.
Media Contact: Missy Pankake, (615) 322-NEWS
missy.pankake@vanderbilt.edu