To the editor:
Dear students,
As you move out, many of you will discard perfectly good (or perfectly edible) items: furniture, kitchen and home goods, clothing, books, appliances, and lots and lots of food. I urge you to leave these items out to be found, rather than bagging them with actual trash or tossing them into the dumpster.
Athens is the poorest of Ohio’s 88 counties, so your unwanted boxes of spaghetti, microwave, or table and chairs will easily find a grateful recipient. Best practices include putting furniture and appliances (in usable condition) at the curb or next to, rather than in, a dumpster. Small items and non-perishable food should be placed in a box and left nearby. Frozen foods can be put in a cooler you no longer want. Not everyone will be interested in those … but some will! During move-out, the trash is typically collected every night, so anything left on the curb will be taken that night.
Obviously, direct donation to food pantries and thrift stores would be ideal, but in the crush of finals, who has time? Leaving them out to be collected is the best alternative, allowing the community to benefit directly. Many collect not just for their own use, but to share with family, friends, and neighbors, and even to donate. I’ll be out there myself, and I thank you for doing your part to reduce waste!
Stacie Tucker
Athens, Ohio
