The University of Georgia is hoping to break records with year-end recycling goals aimed at keeping still-usable items out of the landfill.
Thousands of UGA students are packing up and moving out during the next several days. Most, if not all, are going to leave a little something behind. This year’s Dawgs Ditch the Dumpster and Donate campaign hopes to keep tens of thousands of pounds of those items the landfill. Christy Tweedy is the housing Sustainability Coordinator.
“Our goal for this year’s move-out is to have our residents be able to easily donate their items from their residence halls,” We bring local nonprofits onto our campus in order to collect the donations.”
Tweedy says there are a wide range of recyclable items they want to make sure don’t make it into dumpsters.
“They can donate items that are in good shape like futons, microwaves, mini-fridges, books, clothing, clean bedding, unopened food items, unopened hygiene items. We can take opened cleaning products, we also take mattress toppers and towels.
Dumpsters will be placed outside large dorms and smaller facilities will have indoor collection areas.
The effort runs from Friday, May 3rd to Saturday, May 11th. Organizers typically see about 60,000 pounds kept out of the landfill.
Housing is working with several area nonprofits to collect usable goods.
They include Project Safe, Goodwill of Northeast Georgia, America’s Thrift, Bulldog Basics, and UGA’s Student Food Pantry.
She says volunteers are needed especially for the last few days.
To volunteer visit Engage Georgia.