Schools are Keepin' it Green When it Comes...

The environmental society at my college does a few fun things to keep move out day green,
Obviously, dumpster diving in the most exciting extravaganza; the one we look forward to the most, but we also have a nifty little system called TIOLI – Take it or Leave it.

We put huge laundry bins in every dorm during the last two weeks or so of school, and everyone puts the junk in there, that they don’t want to lug home. Well their trash is my treasure, I always say. We collect all of the bins once the dorms are cleared out, and then at the beginning of the following school year we sell all of it in the academic quad and make a few bucks for the club.

We’re not out to scam people or anything – in fact, you can kind of name your price. It's a pretty sweet fundraiser idea.

Apparently, this system is catching on, though. I was just reading an article about NYU, who is attempting the same idea. They are calling it the “Green Apple Move Out,” and they are taking the concept one step further and actually donating the items.

The NYU Sustainability Task Force decided to collect unwanted and gently-used items, including non-perishable foods, at various locations on campus. Then, everything is being distributed to local non-profits – just keeping the recycling train moving along.

Keep these ideas in mind when it comes time for your school to move out! From one greener institution to another…