Posted 4:02 p.m. Friday, May 3, 2013
Students team up with local landlords, area businesses and other community groups to divert slightly used goods from dumpsters during move out time. Move out day collection sites set up May 11 and 18.
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Dumpster Diversion will help keep the city clean during move out time[/caption]
UW-La Crosse students are teaming up with local landlords, area businesses and other community groups to divert slightly used goods from dumpsters during move out time. The groups are organizing a second annual Dumpster Diversion for two consecutive Saturdays in May.
The collaboration is “awesome,” says Jessica Olson, a local landlord with Olson Apartments.
“If this project didn’t have student leadership taking over and leading the cause, it wouldn’t go anywhere,” she says. “I think students respond well when the message is peer to peer.”
UW-L senior Andrew Londre is a co-founder of MOST or the Move Out Sustainability Team, which UW-L students formed in 2011 to facilitate a responsible and sustainable student move out process in La Crosse.
Londre says for decades La Crosse curbsides have been littered during move out as students leave behind items that someone else could potentially use such as clothes, furniture, dishes or recyclable electronics.
“Not only does this make large parts of our city look like a junkyard for several weeks, but it’s also bad for the environment and wasteful,” says Londre.
During “Dumpster Diversion” collection sites are set up for students to drop off items to go to Goodwill and other local charities. This year collection sites will be available on Saturdays, May 11 and 18. Sites are located in the Mitchell Hall parking lot off Campbell Road at UW-L and off-campus in the parking lot of Jade Café and Toppers Pizza on West Avenue.
Dumpster Diversion keeps La Crosse streets cleaner and benefits area non-profits who receive lightly used goods, says Londre. La Crosse County will also set out dumpsters in case students bring garbage to collection sites by mistake and Dynamic Recycling will provide large bins to recycle electronics and small appliances. After last year’s event, Dynamic Recycling recycled 1,800 pounds of TVs, among other items.
“One landlord can’t possibly change what’s happening in an entire neighborhood,” says Olson. “So it needs to be a neighborhood-wide effort.”
UW-L students and faculty involved in organizing the effort include County Board Supervisor Karin Johnson, City Council member Katherine Svitavsky, UW-L junior Zack Lindquist, UW-L sophomore Aaron Perkins and UW-L Associate Professor and City Councilmember Sara Sullivan. Londre is also a member of the La Crosse County Board.
Dumpster Diversion will help keep the city clean during move out time[/caption]
UW-La Crosse students are teaming up with local landlords, area businesses and other community groups to divert slightly used goods from dumpsters during move out time. The groups are organizing a second annual Dumpster Diversion for two consecutive Saturdays in May.
The collaboration is “awesome,” says Jessica Olson, a local landlord with Olson Apartments.
“If this project didn’t have student leadership taking over and leading the cause, it wouldn’t go anywhere,” she says. “I think students respond well when the message is peer to peer.”
UW-L senior Andrew Londre is a co-founder of MOST or the Move Out Sustainability Team, which UW-L students formed in 2011 to facilitate a responsible and sustainable student move out process in La Crosse.
Londre says for decades La Crosse curbsides have been littered during move out as students leave behind items that someone else could potentially use such as clothes, furniture, dishes or recyclable electronics.
“Not only does this make large parts of our city look like a junkyard for several weeks, but it’s also bad for the environment and wasteful,” says Londre.
During “Dumpster Diversion” collection sites are set up for students to drop off items to go to Goodwill and other local charities. This year collection sites will be available on Saturdays, May 11 and 18. Sites are located in the Mitchell Hall parking lot off Campbell Road at UW-L and off-campus in the parking lot of Jade Café and Toppers Pizza on West Avenue.
Dumpster Diversion keeps La Crosse streets cleaner and benefits area non-profits who receive lightly used goods, says Londre. La Crosse County will also set out dumpsters in case students bring garbage to collection sites by mistake and Dynamic Recycling will provide large bins to recycle electronics and small appliances. After last year’s event, Dynamic Recycling recycled 1,800 pounds of TVs, among other items.
“One landlord can’t possibly change what’s happening in an entire neighborhood,” says Olson. “So it needs to be a neighborhood-wide effort.”
UW-L students and faculty involved in organizing the effort include County Board Supervisor Karin Johnson, City Council member Katherine Svitavsky, UW-L junior Zack Lindquist, UW-L sophomore Aaron Perkins and UW-L Associate Professor and City Councilmember Sara Sullivan. Londre is also a member of the La Crosse County Board.