So the last couple of weekends, I've been dumpstering at large universities here in Portland, as the students move out of the dorms and head back to where-ever home is for them, and throw away amazing quantities of barely-used items. Some friends and I dumpstered at Lewis and Clark College and Reed, and, once again, I am appalled at the great wastefulness of American college students. Of course, I get the benefits of this wastefulness, but I really would rather that it not be happening, since every item produced takes more raw, living materials, and turns them into dead objects. For example, probably the item that symbolized this most for me was one of those fake cat things made from rabbit fur, if you know what I'm talking about. This was found at one of the dumpsters up at Reed College; a plastic figurine shaped like a sleeping kitty all curled up and cute looking, and covered with rabbit fur which has been glued to the body. Only Westerners would think of being so wasteful; raising rabbits to kill for their fur so we could attach it to a fake cat figurine! Outrageous!
But many other symbols of waste where found in the dumpsters as well, everything from brand new clothes and shoes to textbooks, DVDs, books on tape, sex toys (we did not bring home any of the sex toys, that was just a little too creepy for all of us,) to hygiene products, bedding and even a little container filled with weed! Of course, much of what was being thrown out really was garbage, but there was so much that should have been in the recycling containers (which where right next to the garbage bins,) that it was also sad to see how little average college students care about recycling. Most of what was in the dumpsters was paper waste; paper towels and empty beer cases and half-used notebooks and student handbooks. Apparently, most college students don't care if more virgin forests are cut down to manufacture these items, for them, it is easier to be lazy and not sort these things into recycling then the forests matter.
At Reed College there was also a bin just for used clothing which would go to the ARC which is a great organization for people with developmental disabilities. But most of the clothing apparently got thrown into the general dumpsters instead; again, college students apparently can't be bothered to sort clothing out of their garbage to give to people with disabilities!
So anyway, I'm pretty outraged at the amount of waste we saw at these two colleges; luckily, we also saw many other people doing what we where doing and pulling useful items out of the trash. But when I think about this waste multiplied by the number of colleges and universities around the country and the world, I am deeply saddened. I also thought this poor economy would slow waste production down, but it seems that so far, this is not the case.
Love ya,
Carrot
College waste is how I got mini fridges for myself, my brother, and my mom's office. I have seen dressers, tables, couches, beds, etc. on the curb often. I still drive the streets looking for a coffee table when I can before I make my great Ikea journey next month. ;-)
To be fair though, I know a lot of what I see on the curb is also being posted on Craigslist as being on the curb and available. I had a wooden dining room table I wasn't going to use at my new place and it was too big to just bring to Goodwill so I put it out on the curb and posted an ad. Sixteen minutes later it was gone. :-)
I had no idea kids actually threw out textbooks though until I caught my brother about to do it. I know it's all laziness and getting rid of stuff is easier than packing it but, seriously? I got $58 for those books with a 5 minute online search of who would pay the most for them! No Ebay or waiting in the buyback line at the bookstore involved at all!
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My husband thinks I'm a little cuckoo for sifting through our own trash at home. I go nuts when people put recyclables in the regular trash, and even more nuts when they want to throw out the good stuff (cans and bottles that are good for almost $.05 each). That's Elia's piggyfood! Anything made of fabric must go the battered women's shelter, which is only down the street. I can't believe how lazy people can be.
Your bit about the plastic cat with rabbit fur is actually hysterical. It also reminds me of how many stupid things are made and called "toys" that children beg for, but never actually play with.
I think college students might sometimes be extra wasteful because they are not used to paying for things for themselves. Of course, this is not true of all college students, but many are going to school on their parents ticket, or on student loans, which they won't understand the pain of until they are done in school.
When you don't have to be totally self-sufficient, it is easy to take things for granted and be wasteful. The mindlessness about the effects such behavior has on the environment is just simple selfishness and carelessness.
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Perhaps you could talk to those colleges about raising awareness for the different services and perhaps finding incentives (or better incentives) for sorting their things and not throwing everything away? Perhaps talk to the RAs of the dorms about "junk sale" days, where the students can bring all the stuff they don't want and sell it in a big yard sale for other students or community members?
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
unfortunately, I don't have time to organize something like this, but I'm sure there are people out there who do.
Reed has a reputation of being a college in the area with a strong environmental program and lots of students studying environmental law, conservation, etc, which was why it was even more disturbing to me that their dumpsters should be overflowing with things that are either useful, brand new, or recyclable. Somehow, I assumed Reed students would be much less wasteful. I guess I was wrong.
I am friends with a few Reed students who are very conscientious about the environment; they live in a communal house, ride bikes to work and school, and volunteer in the community teaching children about gardening. I guess I assumed all Reed students had these types of lifestyles, but again, I shouldn't make assumptions, especially based on just a few of the Reed students I know.
Anyway, I can't say there isn't an upside to living in one of the most wasteful countries on earth; because of overflowing dumpsters, I get to live a freegan lifestyle, which saves me money, allows me to work much less then many of my friends, and gives me something fun to do at night...like an urban raccoon or a possum, I scavenge.
Love ya,
Carrot
Even if you don't organize the stuff yourself, perhaps you could put a bug in the ears of some of the more conscientious students to get it going? Just tossing ideas.
Nothing like loathing the very lifestyle upon which you depend to make your own lifestyle work, huh?
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
and someone should do it. In fact, most of the people who visit this site are students somewhere, and anyone who reads this might be so inspired to start something like that at their own school. I like the way you think dragonwolf, you are solution oriented :).
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The moving out days show a ton of wastefulness. I've seen tons of rugs and couches and lamps and other miscellaneous furniture as well. I always think "Couldn't they find something else to do with this than throw it out?". Now granted, some things are broken or gross beyond imagination at this point, but other items are like new.
Some other students can score some great freebies though. It's a great time to get a couch for free, that's for sure! Although, it still makes me sad at the amount of garbage going to a landfill near you...or me...or whoever.
such as yourself (ahem) could organize something where students could drop these things off in a specified place. The resourceful person could then get on ebay or craigslist, or the local pennysaver, or just the street corner, and could probaby reap a decent profit from it all.
We just did our recycling, and since my brother is home and drinks a lot of beer, within 2 days we had enough stuff to get back $6.32! For 2 days, that's not bad. That's $3.16/day which is $94.80/ month! That all goes into Elia's piggy bank, and then to her 529 account. That's a pretty substantial contribution!
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Fascinating stuff. Wish I had thought of the idea of freganin' that shiz...definitely too busy getting out of my dorm room and doing it semi-right...ie. sorting stuff into piles fer the R-bins. The whole process of moving out made me sick, not lazy...I was upset about how much shit (and I mean shit) I had sequestered--not about how much of a chore it was to lug out if you know what I mean.
Next year...if I'm not woofing...I'll organize some yard sales or freegan groups for D-Day.
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I'm glad at least one student really took the time to pack and sort properly and might organize some yard sale or something for next year.
College dumpsters are really quite fascinating and fun...if you get a chance, I recommend poking around in them...amazing the sex toys, broken hookahs and weed you come across...
Love ya,
Carrot
Laziness isn't usually the reason. Its a matter of time and space. Most college students have to pack while they're still studying for finals and saying good-bye. I know my college isn't very flexible about letting students stick around. Also, if a student lives far away, they have to fit all they're stuff into one carload. Textbooks get thrown away because students are frustrated about how little they get for buyback or that they can't get anything for it.
I know that my school had several yard sales collecting stuff in the dorms and I'd like to think people donated what they could. But as for driving to town to give stuff to donate to goodwill or other causes? There really isn't the time. Most students hardly have the time to throw stuff into bags and get it in their car. And of course some students have to fly home. So forget about organizing this stuff if you live in the dorms. As for recycling, at my school it is student run. So if the students were gone, I suspected that maintenence would just throw all that stuff away anyways. That has happened. My point is, before you label college students as lazy or wasteful, which I won't lie, we can be, take a moment to think about what situations we are in. In other words, step into our shoes for a moment.
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I understand the pressures of college life; I know how busy everything gets, especially at the end, around finals and packing and goodby parties...so maybe we should take my friend Jake's advice and be minimalists during our college years; I don't see why we feel the need to pack all manner of useless objects into our tiny dorm rooms, just to throw much of it away...(and I'm as guilty of this as the next person, I have way, way too much crap..)
Love ya,
carrot
I understand the pressures of college life; I know how busy everything gets, especially at the end, around finals and packing and goodby parties...so maybe we should take my friend Jake's advice and be minimalists during our college years; I don't see why we feel the need to pack all manner of useless objects into our tiny dorm rooms, just to throw much of it away...(and I'm as guilty of this as the next person, I have way, way too much crap..)
Love ya,
carrot