Last spring, 10,000 students moved out of the University of Michigan’s residence halls, leaving behind ten tons of “stuff,” including towels, bedding, rugs, shoes, clothing, and food. By providing containers for the reusable items, University Housing and Waste Management Services were able to sort and donate 2,279.5 pounds of shoes, 8,572.5 pounds of clothing, and 3,478 pounds of unopened food to charitable agencies. A student organization known as KnitWits and a community group called Caring Quilts turned the bedding elements into bedrolls for the homeless.
“We’re very excited to see that students made the choice to donate their unwanted goods rather than trash them,” says Sarah Archer, coordinator of the university’s Waste Management and Recycling Services.
For more information see the University of Michigan’s recycling efforts and “the top ten things you can do to help protect the environment.”