Passerby shares photo of concerning discovery near college campus: 'That's so sad'

A lot of usable items get thrown in the trash every day, which is why dumpster diving has gotten so popular. A lot of the time, safe, edible food is thrown out by businesses, but sometimes even private individuals are wasteful with their belongings. College dumpsters are famous for holding items that outgoing students no longer want but that have lots of life left in them.

What's happening?

One dumpster diver posted their colorful find in r/knolling, a community dedicated to artfully arranged objects. "School supplies I found in a college dorm dumpster," they said.

There are better options. — Photo Credit: Reddit

A photo shows multiple types of colored pens and markers, small and large Post-it notes in a rainbow of hues, highlighters, staples, note cards, and a small notebook. Two novelty items — a tiny strawberry and a Yellowstone National Park decal — complete the set.

Why is trash in a college dumpster important?

While this is a relatively small cache of items, it represents a much larger problem. College move-out week is notorious for generating mountains of trash, as departing students discard items that they don't want to take the trouble to move. This can range from food to expensive appliances, and it happens at every college and university across the country that offers student housing.

The piles of trash create an eyesore for communities. They're also a logistical problem for the universities, which have to pay to have them hauled away. Meanwhile, people who could benefit from all those discarded items — namely incoming students — don't get the benefit of them and have to buy their own new products instead. This is incredibly wasteful and strains manufacturing systems via overuse of resources, not to mention the costs to individuals. Meanwhile, the trash goes to landfills that are already overfull, contributing to pollution in soil and water.

"That's so sad," a commenter said.

"Yeah it sucks to see. There is always so much thrown away when the students graduate," the original poster responded.

Are universities doing anything about this?

As the original poster pointed out, there are better options. "I've read about campuses that have donation drop sites outside the dorms — then they give away the donated items to students or offer a campus thrift store," they wrote in another comment.

For example, the University of Scranton has an annual drive to collect furniture and other items from departing students.

What's being done about discarded items more broadly?

If you have belongings that you want to get rid of, one of the best options is to sell them secondhand. That way you're giving them new life and can make a buck in the process.

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If you want to skip the hassle, you can donate them to a thrift store or use a company, such as Trashie, that will do the hard work for you and give you credits to spend on rewards.

Should it be illegal to throw away old clothes?

Heck yes 👍