As the semester winds down, students living in the U’s dorms face the daunting task of packing up their belongings and moving out. But there is an alternative for those who don’t want to haul it all out.
Students can place clothes, electronics and houseware they don’t want in the blue Clothing Donation Center bin, located between Benchmark 822 and the Heritage Center on upper campus. Barb Remsburg, director of Housing and Residential Education, said the collection receptacle is all about sustainability.
“It’s a way for stuff to not land in a landfill,” Remsburg said.
Remsburg said the bin has been a feature of dorm life at the U for about 10 years, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah, a non-profit that supports children with volunteer mentors, regularly picks up the donations. She said the company’s willingness to work with the U is vital.
“This is one of those pieces that also has a feel-good factor to it,” she said. “[Students] get to feel good for being in service to someone else.”
Remsburg said international and out-of-state students use the bin the most so they don’t have to take as much home when they move out.
Taylor Hobbs, a freshman in chemical engineering living on campus, is involved in sustainability programs and research on campus. But he was unaware the donation bin existed and is glad to know it’s there.
“I think you need to have these kinds of programs in order to succeed,” he said.
At the end of the year, Housing and Residential Education collaborates with the U’s Sustainability Office for a larger donation drive. Among some of the items students have previously donated are bikes, toasters and rice cookers. This donation drive runs May 6-9, when the resident halls close for Spring Semester.
@Ehmannky