When the Wolfpack packed up and moved out of residence halls in May, students left behind 26,000 pounds of donated, reusable items for local nonprofits.
In its eighth year, this effort called Pack N Give (formerly Pack N Go) is a partnership between Waste Reduction and Recycling and University Housing to benefit the community while also reducing the amount of end-of-semester waste sent to local landfills.
From April 23 through May 12, students donated lamps, clothing, small furniture and other items at 13 campus donation sites. Non-perishable food was given to the campus Feed the Pack food pantry and reusable items were distributed by local nonprofits Dorcas Ministries and The Green Chair Project to Triangle-area individuals and families in need.
This year an 11 percent increase in donations helped the university divert from landfills one third of all material discarded during residence hall move out, including 47,500 pounds of recyclable material.
“This program continues to gain awareness and participation as well as becoming more efficient,” said Analis Fulghum, manager of NC State’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Office.