Working in sustainability, or any mission-driven field, can be discouraging and overwhelming at times, but the annual Move Out Collection gives me, and everyone who participates, hope that change can be made.
You may think the scariest time on a college campus is Halloween, but I think many students would disagree. It's actually the end of the year with exams, figuring out summer plans, balancing the many end-of-year celebrations, and moving out of the place you've called home for eight months. With everything going on, students often look at the objects they have accumulated over the school year with horror: how will they find the time and space to move it all? In a mad dash at the last minute, many of these items will be discarded and thrown into the trash, where they are doomed to take up space in a landfill.
That’s where the University of Dayton’s Move Out Collection comes in. By collecting these items, we can divert them from ending up in a landfill and pass them along to someone else who can use them. Not only does this reduce waste from usable items going in the garbage, but it also reduces what needs to be bought new, making a multifaceted impact. The collection accepts small kitchen appliances, clothes, shelf-stable food, unopened hygiene products, cleaning supplies, organization tools, and many other household objects.
I have been working on this collection since my freshman year. This year, I oversaw the registration form and watched the hundreds of hours fill up within days, which shows me that people care about the mission. It is one of my favorite parts of the year because I see the students and staff all come together to make this project work. Seeing students make the effort to donate their items instead of just throwing them away gives me hope that people care about others. All these pieces highlight the community UD is so proud of: one that works together to tackle challenges in pursuit of the common good.
This project is a large effort made possible through the collaboration of the Sustainability Student Leaders program, the Office of Energy and Sustainability, the Center for Social Concern, and Housing and Residence Life.
This year, the collection ran May 4-11, during which 23.74 tons (47,484 lbs.) of supplies were collected. The program aims to keep the supplies within the University of Dayton community. This year, 1,435 pounds of food and cleaning/hygiene items were donated to the Brook Center’s Food4Flyers pantry, where they will be available to all students at no cost. Additionally, 751 pounds of food, hygiene and cleaning supplies, and kids' activities were donated to the University of Dayton Summer Appalachian Program. Eighteen pounds of supplies were donated to Mission of Mary, an alumni-founded nonprofit organization aimed at reducing food insecurity in Dayton. The final 45,280 pounds were donated to Goodwill.
In addition to the months of planning from these offices, 50 student and staff volunteers worked more than 230 hours during the course of the week to ensure the program was successful. This large number is made more impressive by the fact that it is during exam week, and some volunteers stay behind extra days just to assist with the collection. These students and staff see the importance of this collection and work through their busy schedules to help make the transition easier for everyone.
Thanks to the efforts of many people across campus, the Move Out Collection has successfully run for years, reducing the University's footprint and saving money on dumpster fees and the labor associated with cleaning up items left behind. In the past three years, the collection has repurposed 57.4 tons (114,822 lbs.) of housing waste.
I will be graduating this coming year with a double major in sustainability and psychology. While I am sure I will be overwhelmed by the added nerves of graduation, I look forward to participating in my favorite program of the year one last time, where the passions and skills gained during my time at UD contribute to efforts deeply tied to the Marianist spirit and Catholic Social Teachings: caring for our common home and the campus community I called (and will continue to call) home.