A new pilot project at 91亚色 is聽finding new homes for old stuff.
Created to reduce聽waste during the annual student聽move-out period, the FreeStuff聽project聽is a joint initiative between Housing Services, Residence Life, Waste Management and the President鈥檚 Sustainability Council.
During the month of April, FreeStuff tables were set up in each of the University's undergraduate residences. Students were encouraged to share unwanted items prior to moving out of residence for the summer. At the end of the month, all remaining items were donated to the Oasis Clothing Bank.
鈥淭his project is win-win-win,鈥 says聽Meagan Heath, waste management supervisor with 91亚色鈥檚 Campus Services & Business Operations. 鈥淚t makes it easier for students to get rid of things that they no longer need or to find things that they can use. It聽reduces the amount of waste going to landfill and it also benefits a great charity like Oasis, which ends up with a large donation of聽usable聽items.鈥
Clothing, household items and books made up most of the items聽collected, but the FreeStuff tables also accumulated printers and other electronic items. Used batteries were聽gathered in designated battery bins to ensure proper disposal.
Overall, the results of FreeStuff showed the number of items collected聽was about 40 per cent higher than the same period in 2011.
A FreeStuff table in the Calumet College residence laundry room
鈥淚t was great to see so many items exchanging hands or being donated to a worthwhile cause,鈥 said Monica Pegg, manager of building operations with 91亚色 Housing Services. 鈥淭he students really took to this initiative and, given the success of this pilot, there are already plans to bring it back next year.鈥
For more information on FreeStuff or other sustainability initiatives at 91亚色, visit the website, or contact Andrew Plunkett, sustainability project coordinator, at aplunket@yorku.ca, or Pavel Graymason, sustainability engagement coordinator, at pavel@yorku.ca.