by Joseph Trujillo
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a born & bred Austinite, West Campus will always ring a bell. Located west of the University of Texas at Austin, West Campus houses over 12,000 students every year. The vibrant community, known for its colorful residential buildings, is home to a plethora of dwellings, businesses, and attractions.
Every July, however, the community always faces a challenge as students move out. As a result, a significant volume of material is abandoned on the curb or near dumpsters. Last year, Austin Resource Recovery staff took a trip to the streets of West Campus to evaluate the situation. They found many items that could live a second life spread around various dumpsters in the community:
Austin Resource Recovery strives to reach Zero Waste by 2040, which means reducing the amount of trash sent to landfills by 90 percent. The UT Office of Sustainability, in proud partnership with the City of Austin, Keep Austin Beautiful, and the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling, is collaborating with the community to reduce, reuse, and recycle, all while helping clean the West Campus streets.
[Re]Move & [Re]Use aims to help students [re]move gently-used items commonly thrown away during the move out period into the hands of local [re]use organizations. Some items that can be donated include:
- Gently used furniture
- Household goods
- Kitchen supplies
- Cleaning supplies
- Non-perishable food items
- Toiletries and unused paper goods
A comprehensive list of items can be found here. Did we mention that perks are involved with your donations? With your donation, you will receive a [Re]Move & [Re]Use sticker. The sticker is a ticket to discounts in local businesses, along with a drawing to win a Yeti Cooler. Click here to find out what specials you will have access to with just a simple donation. Contributing to our community has never looked better!
Interested in being a part a #WestCampusHero? Lend a helping hand to support the [Re]Move & [Re]Use pilot program! Sign up to help reuse organizations accept items and manage lines at the drop-off stations from July 27 to July 31. Shifts last 2.5 hours, and the ability to lift up to 50 lbs. is preferred (though not required). As a thank you, Austin Resource Recovery will be providing cool-it towels to volunteers and you will have access to all the perks! Water refills and snacks will also be available onsite. Learn more and register to volunteer at a drop-off station near you at www.moveoutatx.org/volunteer.
Campus Environmental Center 