The end of the school year in East Lansing typically means copious abandoned furniture, clothing and household items up for grabs, lying on the side of the road. However, East Lansing and MSU officials are seeking to eliminate such waste by teaming up for the Pack Up, Pitch In recycling program.
This is the second year East Lansing has taken part in the program to collect students’ unwanted items at sites on and off campus during spring move-out. The program began on campus in 1996.
Bins are available at all residence hall on campus, and volunteers will be on hand May 7-8 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the parking lot to the north of the East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road, to collect clothing, shoes, nonperishable food, carpet, electronic waste, sofas, mattresses, blankets, pillows, household items and regularly collected recyclables.
Students with a student ID can drop off items for free, except for furniture in poor condition, which will cost $7.50 for disposal.
This year, more of an emphasis will be placed on electronics because of the digital TV transition, said Diane Barker, East Complex facilities manager and one of the program’s founders.
“We’re really trying to capture the electronics piece, partially because of the TV switchover, and we’re wondering what the volume is going to be,” Barker said.
Last year, Baker said the program collected almost 1,500 pounds of electronics on campus, and clothing and shoes volumes equaled more than 15,000 pounds on campus.
The city collected 2,400 pounds of clothing and shoes, 20 to 30 rolls of carpet and 22 sofas, said Erin Carter, an East Lansing community liaison.
Items are recycled or donated to volunteer organizations such as Lansing Teen Challenge, Volunteers of America and American Red Cross, Carter said.
“The goal is to prevent as much as we can from going into the landfills,” Carter said.
The city will look to add to recyclables collected after a strong initial collection last spring, said Dave Smith, an environmental specialist for East Lansing.
“We generated quite a bit of stuff, and we added regular recyclables (this year),” Smith said.
The reuse element of the program will be important this year because of the number of needy people in Michigan, Carter said.
“It’s especially important because people are in places of economic crisis and trouble, so it can go to a good cause,” Carter said.
Human resource management senior Emily Gannon said she plans to donate her leftover food to the program when she moves out of her dorm room.
“Instead of filling up garbage cans, this food can go to other people,” Gannon said.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
