Moving is an activity that both reveals and generates a lot of waste. As you go through your belongings, you find that many of them are broken or otherwise not worth moving to your new residence; and once you have chosen what you do want to move, you need to pack it into containers to take it to your new home — containers which will likely later be discarded.
Nowhere is this more apparent than college student move-in and move-out days, when hundreds of people are all moving at the same time.
What's happening?
An example of this phenomenon was recently posted on the r/Anticonsumption subreddit. The original poster shared a photo of multiple overflowing dumpsters, captioned "outside just a single dorm, and this is just the first day of a multiple day move in."
In the photo, at least six containers can be seen piled high with trash, with more flowing onto the pavement around them. Much of the pile is boxes that have not been broken down, but there are also full garbage bags.
"I used to work at a university and can assure you, move out day looks the same but with the broken or damaged and useless stuff that once lived in these boxes piled in the same places," said a commenter.
"Yes! I worked in student accommodation and the housekeepers would come to leave stuff they found in rooms, some students left so many things behind — often all usable, pretty nice, etc. We kept it for 28 days and then dropped them at the charity shop," said another user.
Why is the waste from student move-ins important?
This inundation of trash causes several problems. First of all, it's wasteful, resulting in greater expenses for every student in the dorm. Many of them would benefit from having usable items passed on to them from prior students, or from having a supply of boxes ready when it's time to move out again.
Next, the massive mess outside the dorm is an eyesore and an inconvenience for everyone who passes until it's cleared away. Having it taken care of is also yet another expense for the university or its housing service to handle, and there are often extra fines for leaving trash outside of the dumpster.
Meanwhile, all of this waste clogs up landfills and adds pollution to our already strained environment. Plus, manufacturing replacements for all of these household items for each new wave of students puts an unnecessary strain on our natural resources.
Is the university doing anything about this?
Many institutions know that they'll be facing scenes like this when students move in and out of the dorms, and they come prepared.
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For example, Princeton hosts an event each year where outgoing students can donate their unwanted household items that are in good condition. Charity drives based on school departures not only prevent excessive waste but also generate help and goodwill for the community.
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Heck yes 👍 What can I do to reduce waste?
If you find yourself with extra belongings to get rid of when you move, donating them or selling them secondhand will keep them in circulation if they're in good condition. Otherwise, look for opportunities to recycle them.
If you live near a university, on the other hand, dumpster diving during move-out week can be profitable.
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