George Washington University students’ discarded items totaling more than 43,000 pounds will be repackaged and reused thanks to the university-wide Green Move-Out program.
Crews of George Washington University students and staff wearing white and neon Green Move-Out T-shirts fanned out to GW residence halls on the Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon campuses at the end of the academic year to collect and bag thousands of pounds of left behind clothing, canned goods, electronics and other items.
Following three weeks of collecting, the bounty was donated to local organizations, Community Recycling, Turning the Page and Capital Area Food Bank, where it will be distributed or resold locally and around the world.
The university-wide program is a way to make the student move-out process more environmentally friendly, according to GW Zero Waste and Logistics Recycling Coordinator Kris Ferguson. Without it, many items left behind in residence halls could end up in local landfills.
“Green Move-Out has been managed by the Zero Waste team since 2014, and it has become a robust donation program with the help of students, faculty, staff and sponsors,” Mr. Ferguson said. “It helps the university reduce disposal costs and helps advance our zero-waste goals.”
Zero Waste and Logistics Coordinator Kris Ferguson (pictured) helped organize the three-week Green Move-Out period.
This year the program had 150 volunteers. Community Recycling received 34,206 pounds of bedding, clothing and other materials. Capital Area Food Bank received 4,079 pounds of canned and nonperishable goods. And Turning the Page received 550 pounds of books and CDs.
Mr. Ferguson said the most unusual items uncovered were a Ziploc bag full of quarters and two X-boxes.
Community Recycling President and GW alumnus Ira Baseman, B.A. ’84, J.D. ’87, said that he wants to make recycling convenient and engaging. The company has partnered with GW since 2013 to collect items for reuse and resale in more than 50 countries around the world, he said.
“Sustainability and economics go hand in hand as we create jobs, invest in new and innovative recycling programs, divert from landfills, save resources and help build better communities,” Mr. Baseman said. “Recycling clothing, shoes and accessories for reuse is impactful—it extends the lifecycle of an article of clothing to others around the world and around the community.
“GW’s Green Move-Out program has developed into a first-class operation,” he added.
As the program continues to grow, Mr. Ferguson said, the Zero Waste team wants to encourage students, faculty and staff to get in the habit of donating their discarded clothing, bedding, towels and other textiles at four permanent donation bins located at South Hall, Thurston Hall, Shenkman Hall and West Hall.
“The program continues to be a success, and we hope to expand [permanent bins] to five more residence halls next year,” Mr. Ferguson said.