The following post was written by Alec Pedigo, a student majoring in Science, Technology and Society. Alec is currently an intern with the NC State Waste Reduction and Recycling Office.
Over 9,000 students will soon be packing up to leave campus residence halls and kickstart their summer break. This campus exodus may be an inevitable part of the college experience, but the waste left behind doesn’t need to be. With the help of University Housing and Waste Reduction and Recycling, there are many things that students can do to move-out more sustainably and with less waste.
Donate, Don’t Ditch
20+ donation stations will be set-up across campus for students to leave unwanted items. In its 17th year, the Wolf Pack-N-Give program accepts clothing, shoes, furniture, foam mattress toppers and even toiletries for donation to local community organizations. Check out the full list of accepted items and donation locations at go.ncsu.edu/wpng.
Feed the Pack
Non-perishable and unopened food items can also be left inside the donation stations. Also accepted are individually-wrapped items, including hygiene products, which will all be given to Feed the Pack Food Pantry.
Sort Your Stuff
Look for additional landfill and recycling dumpsters to be placed near residence halls and apartments. Students, families and move-out helpers should read the labels to make sure that they are recycling and composting correctly before sending stuff to the landfill. Got more questions? Check out our campus Recycling Guide.
Be Creative
Students can also reduce their waste using what they have on hand versus buying packing supplies. Emma Gandy, a member of the Zero Waste Wolves student organization, advises using clothes, kitchen linens or towels to wrap breakables instead of using plastic bubble wrap.
Pack Smart
While it can be tempting to just toss unwanted items into the landfill, making a plan for a sustainable move-out can lighten any load. It’s also a great time to take stock of items actually used and kept throughout the year in order to have a sustainable move-in in the fall. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to move both in and off of campus!
NC State University’s Wolf Pack-N-Give begins Monday, April 25 and lasts through Sunday, May 8. Donation stations will be open daily 8 am – 10 pm.