Last modified: Thursday, May 5, 2011
IU Bloomington kicks off No Waste Week
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- In collaboration with the City of Bloomington, IU Residential Programs and Services, United Way of Monroe County, Habitat for Humanity and Pick Up America, the Indiana University Office of Sustainability kicked off its first No Waste Week today (May 5) with Hoosier to Hoosier collections at IU Bloomington's Gladstein Fieldhouse.
E-Waste Collection Days will be part of No Waste Week, getting under way today at IU Bloomington.
No Waste Week marks 10 days of events focused on recycling what can no longer be used, reusing what can, and working to reduce overall consumption. Visit the No Waste Week website for details: https://tinyurl.com/no-waste-week.
Students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to donate reusable items, recycle unusable items, participate and/or volunteer in the following ways:
Donate reusable items
- Hoosier to Hoosier Community Sale Collections: H2H aims to divert waste from the landfill by collecting reusable items from students during move-out, and then "closing the loop" by selling those items at a big sale, this year to be held Aug. 20 at Gladstein Fieldhouse. Students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to donate reusable items at the fieldhouse today from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., or you can contact H2H throughout the summer to arrange a pickup (email h2h@indiana.edu). Students living in apartment complexes can encourage their landlords to provide an area for tenants to make donations. Students living on campus can take reusable items to the donation areas available in all residence halls. Click here for a list of acceptable items: https://www.indiana.edu/~sustain/hoosier_to_hoosier/Donate.html.
- Local Organization Pick-ups: Numerous other organizations in town will make pickups (e.g., St. Vincent de Paul, Habitat ReStore) and accept donations (Opportunity House, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Middle Way House.)
Recycle unusable items
- Electronic Waste Collection Days: E-Waste Collection Days, a free electronic waste recycling drive sponsored by IU Bloomington, will take place at the Memorial Stadium Purple Lot May 12-14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Schools, universities, businesses and nonprofits are encouraged to donate May 12-13. Collections on Saturday, May 14 are open to the public. One hundred percent of the electronics donated will be diverted from the landfill and recycled by Apple. Click here for a list of acceptable items. Electronics that are still functioning should be donated to Hoosier to Hoosier.
- On-Campus Recycling Options: Recycling is available in all campus buildings, residence halls, on-campus apartments and the Indiana Memorial Union. Click here for more information on campus recycling.
- Off-Campus Recycling Options: The City of Bloomington offers free recycling pickup for residential housing with four units or fewer. Click here for more information on the city's recycling program. Off-campus residents living in housing with more than four units can drop off recyclables at the Monroe County Solid Waste District. Click here for drop-off locations and a list of acceptable items.
Participate
- Help make the "Love Your Mother Quilt" with Pick Up America: Pick Up America (www.pickupamerica.org), a nonprofit performing the nation's first contiguous, coast-to-coast roadside litter cleanup, will host an event in honor of Mother's Day on Saturday (May 7) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bloomington Community Farmer's Market, 401 N. Morton St. next to City Hall. The community is invited to help create a recycled quilt, called the "Love Your Mother Quilt." Pick Up America has prepared pieces of a quilt-like a puzzle that, when put together, will form an image of the Earth. Families, parents and children will be asked to write and/or draw something to honor their mothers and Mother Nature on a piece of the quilt and then put their piece in place on the Earth puzzle.
Volunteer
- Hoosier to Hoosier Community Sale: H2H is in immediate need of volunteers to help with collecting, sorting and transporting items May 9-10 from 9 a.m.-noon and from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. There will also be numerous volunteer opportunities in the summer. Email h2h@indiana.edu to volunteer or for more information.
- Electronic Waste Collection Days: Volunteers are needed May 12-14 to hand out magnets at both the Bloomington and Indianapolis Electronic Waste Collection Days. The magnets are printed with a survey link that will help the program organizers collect valuable demographic information about participants. Volunteers can sign up for two-hour shifts or work the entire day from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Contact colemans@indiana.edu for more information.
- Jordan River Cleanup: Pick Up America is teaming up with IU Volunteers in Sustainability to collect trash along the Jordan River on Saturday, May 14, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meet at the foot of the stairs leading to the north entrance (Jordan River side) to the Indiana Memorial Union. Contact sustain@indiana.edu for more information.
