At colleges throughout the nation, the week that students begin their mass exodus from the dorms becomes an environmental hazard in and of itself. Often, students will leave behind any straggling items that they aren’t sure how to dispose of and university employees are left to deal with the mess.
The source of this problem is rooted in a lack of understanding—people just don’t know what to do with their stuff.
Here at Puget Sound, Sustainability Advisory Committee has been grappling with ways to improve student awareness of proper waste disposal. To get a better idea of how a typical freshman could be more environmentally conscious during move out week, I sat down with Sustainability Program Coordinator, Sarah Webb.
Webb is an active participant in environmental changes—this summer, she’ll be doing conservation fieldwork in Africa. Last year, Webb worked the week following move out week and was frustrated by the excessive amounts of abandoned waste in the dorms.
Webb was surprised to find abandoned TVs, furniture, and other appliances. What the students probably weren’t aware of was the fact that trucks from Goodwill arrive the week before move out week and stay until the following week.
Webb added, “Appliances and furniture can go to the Goodwill donation center, which will be located between Human Resources and the old Facilities building/South Hall.” Goodwill has very few restrictions on what they can afford to take—they’ll accept almost anything.
“At least try Goodwill before you start throwing things away,” she said.
Recycling during last year’s move out week left a lot to be desired as well. This year, RAs will be receiving copies that show a map of all bins and options for disposal. Large recycling bins will be located behind the S.U.B. as well as behind the A/L parking lot.
“If you have any doubts about what to do with something, just ask your RA or a sustainability officer,” Webb advised.
Eight sustainability officers will be working during move out week to help students clear up any confusion about proper waste disposal. Plastic toters and glass containers are in every dorm—if they ever become full, Webb said to call sustainability’s phone number at ext. 1560.
I then asked Webb what she thought was the most important advice for any students moving out of the dorms, to which she replied, “Plan ahead. Students don’t realize how much time it takes to move everything out until it’s too late—that’s how things get left behind. Don’t hesitate to call or e-mail us at recycling@pugetsound.edu.”
As with most environmental issues, move out week’s waste problem is due to a lack of awareness. If people don’t know how to fix the problem, how could they do anything but exacerbate it?
Webb’s advice may be enough to help students decide how to best fulfill the old Passages motto, “Leave no trace.”