EUGENE, Ore. -- (June 1, 2010) – University of Oregon students can donate unwanted belongings for reuse or recycling at an end-of-the-school-year Move-Out Recycling Event on Saturday, June 5.
Everything from furniture to clothing or electronics can be brought to the event, sponsored by a variety of campus and community groups. The Move-Out Recycling Event (MORE) drop-off will be from noon to 4 p.m. in the PLC parking lot — between 13th and 14th avenues, and Alder and Kincaid streets — on the UO campus.
Household items, décor, books and even UO Duck memorabilia can be donated, but must be in good condition and reusable. Donated items will be given to St. Vincent DePaul to benefit the agency's social service programs and affordable housing projects in Lane County; and to the Looking Glass Independent Living Program for youths who are moving out on their own from foster care.
Students can also bring unwanted electronics — working or non-working — to the Move-Out event. Laptops, CD players, iPods, alarm clocks, televisions, cameras and other electronics will be given to NextStep Recycling, where working items will be resold and non-working items will be repaired or recycled.
Oregon law prohibits dumping computers, monitors and televisions in the garbage or at disposal sites such as landfills, transfer stations and incinerators. The law, which took effect in January, is intended to promote the reuse of valuable materials found in electrical components — including copper, gold and aluminum. The items also contain numerous of hazardous substances that can be toxic if released into the air, water or soil.
"By donating reusable items, it helps reduce the impact on the environment and give new life to something that is no longer useful to you," says Karyn Kaplan, manager of the UO campus recycling program. "Donating reusables is an easy way to help others in need while keeping the landfill out of your backyard — a win-win for all."
The Central Presbyterian Church will also host a donation event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Clothing, furniture, household items and other belongings can be taken to the church at 555 E. 15th Ave.
The Central Presbyterian event will be repeated on Saturday, June 12, both at the church and at the Koinonia Center, across from the Knight Library at 1414 Kincaid St. All items collected by the church will be sold Sept. 25, with proceeds going almost entirely to Habitat for Humanity.
"Every year, you see a lot of stuff on the curbs in the rain. It's an eye sore for neighbors, a burden on the City, and a waste of perfectly good items," says Heather Marek, off-campus programs coordinator for the Office of the Dean of Students. "When you think about the 18,000 thousand or so students living off-campus, you can imagine the magnitude of the problem this poses for the community."
The Move-Out Recycling Event is coordinated by the CommUniversity Resource Assistant Program, Central Presbyterian Church and Campus Recycling, with support from the Associated Students of the University of Oregon, the UO Office of Government and Community Relations, the Office of the Dean of Students and the Department of Public Safety.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 63 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Contact: Joe Mosley, UO media relations, 541-346-3606, jmosley@uoregon.edu
Source: Heather Marek, off-campus programs coordinator, Office of Student Life, 503-702-2351, hmarek@uoregon.edu