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| Move out program offers EZ solution |
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| Written by Jessica Mullins- Argonaut | ||||||
| Tuesday, 29 April 2008 | ||||||
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It seems uncertain if spring will officially come to Moscow, but soon University of Idaho students will do their spring cleaning when they move out starting next week. One group on campus is entirely devoted to this time of the semester. The group makes it easy for students to discard their unwanted belongings to be re-used and recycled. The program RE-ZY, or re-use made easy, is a move-out program funded by UI’s Sustainability Center. Organizers place bins and tents around campus where students can donate items including clothing, furniture, appliances and non-perishable foods. In the past, students threw away items they didn’t need or want anymore, said Leah Andrews, marketing and recruitment manager for University Housing. The program creates an outlet for students to give away their items, she said. “This allows students to find a home for the students’ items when they leave school,” she said. “It reduces the amount of waste, helps different (groups) within our community and is good for the environment as well.” Many people throw away useful things, said junior Willow Falcon, one of the five students who wrote the proposal for the program. “There are other people who can use items that you have instead of letting them go to waste,” Andrews said. Indoor bins and large white tents will be placed around campus May 7-11 to collect items. There will also be collection sites at the Campus View apartment complexes May 11-16. The bins and tents are at a less or comparable distance to dumpsters, Andrews said. “The program has made it way easier to recycle than throw items away,” she said. “That is part of the genius of the program. Anytime you can create something more convenient for students is something students are always interested in.” In the fall the group received more than 1,100 pounds of items. Ten percent of the items went to local food banks and 70 percent of the items were clothing donated to the community. Other items were taken by organizations in the community including the International Friendship Association. This year a yard sale will be held before the items are donated. The yard sale will raise funds to improve the RE-ZY program. The program began in the fall after organizers received a $10,000 requested grant from UISC. This semester, organizers, including Falcon, have done extensive networking to improve the program. “We really are pulling in a huge network,” Falcon said. The network includes many campus organizations and community groups. The community support will sustain the program. The program is about benefiting the community, she said. “In the future I hope this becomes the normal part of move out,” Andrews said. “I hope we see fewer and fewer items going to the dumpster and more to community groups and being reused.”  Add as favorites (76) | Views: 859
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