It’s that time of year again, the time we all dread as students, where our days are filled with the sounds of turning pages, scribbling notes, slurping coffee, and punctuated by breaks for mowing down food. If you are anything like I was in first year while living in rez, you haven’t even started thinking about packing to go home because you have been so stressed with exams. If so, great! This means that when you are last-minute throwing your stuff together that hopefully you will have read this and rather than tossing unloved possessions into a big black garbage bag that instead you will put them aside for the Dump n’ Run.
The things you leave behind could include clothes, electronics, kitchenware, office stuff, books, non-perishable food, or anything that is not too large (no big pieces of furniture, Jon’s back is bad as it is) that we will be able to donate to local charities. Last year we managed to pick up 3.18 tonnes of stuff and we hope to surpass that this year in terms of reducing the things that end up in the landfill! You can drop off donations in the foyer on designated Dump N’ Run tables (Thompson, Hyman, 90 U, or in our office at 141 Louis Pasteur).
The effort that goes into this event by the office and volunteers is extreme, from the month of sorting goods, packaging them, and sending them off to local charities to the major move-out day which includes a race of gathering and hunting down goods that are about to be tossed by students. Don’t be surprised if you see a team of eager dumpster divers outside your rez or volunteers with massive carts pushing around bags and boxes of assorted stuff. Don’t give us funny looks; we’re contributing to a great cause and we pick up some pretty rad things (I have a mug obsession and scored some funky ones last year). Be jealous! Or just send us a message on Facebook, Twitter or to our email: sustainable@uottawa.ca to help volunteer and grab some stuff for yourself!
Also, check out the website for more information.
~Merissa.- campus sustainability coordinatorphoto credit - jonathan rausseo