Move-out is fast approaching, and whether you are moving out of the dorms or getting ready to graduate, chances are that you are starting the process of packing your life into boxes. It can be extremely overwhelming thinking about where to start- so hopefully this article can offer some helpful tips.
Clothes
Clothes can be donated at a number of locations on and off campus. Cal Poly provides huge donation bins by the Scout on campus and the PCV apartments for students who live on campus and do not have cars or have a last-minute donation pile on their way out. This is a great resource because it is close to student housing and easily accessible. There are also many off-campus thrift stores that take donations as well. Goodwill is always a great option, and there are more than 3 drop-off locations within a couple of miles of campus. Hope Chest in downtown SLO is another thrift store with a donation center that donates its profits to patients in hospice care who are uninsured and cannot afford treatment. The Assistance League of San Luis Obispo also takes donations for clothes and uses its proceeds to clothe students of low-income families through their philanthropic program called Operation School Bell. Another completely volunteer-based thrift store, just like Hope Chest, Assistance League has provided school-appropriate clothes and supplies to 36,000 children of low-income families in San Luis Obispo County. Most thrift stores are donation-based, and they are a perfect resource to bring your garbage bags full of clothes! Donating clothes is always the better option than throwing them away, but it is also gratifying to know where your donations, and the profits they make off of them, are going.
Furniture and Appliances
Although thrift stores usually take home goods, sometimes appliances get turned away. A great place to donate a slightly used appliance is Habitat For Humanity. They have locations in SLO and Paso Robles, and they take any kind of appliance you can think of- as long as it works! They offer pick-up services for bigger appliances or offer walk-in hours for smaller ones. The thrift stores mentioned above also take furniture, but another great way to get rid of furniture (and appliances) is Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. There are so many college students that need both for their next apartment/house. This is a great option if you want to make money off of the stuff you have that is new or almost new, and there are more than 20,000 students at Cal Poly, so chances are you will find a taker if you list your items online! Selling (or gifting) to other students is a great way to reduce waste and pass along the fun college apartment/house finds. It is also super helpful to ask the future tenant of the apartment/house you are currently in if they want any of your furniture- it saves them money and saves you the hassle of moving anything!
Food
If you have produce or food that goes bad quickly, the best option is to compost it! Because non-shelf-stable food cannot be donated to a food bank, you can avoid the landfill by putting it in a compost bin. There are compost bins all over campus, usually right next to the trash and recycling. Composting really helps the environment by reducing carbon emissions and fertilizing soil for future crops. As for food that is shelf-stable, you can donate it to a local food pantry. There is an awesome organization that has a food pantry called CAPSLO. They help feed, clothe, and house people who need it, and they accept all non-perishable and canned goods. As long as the food is unopened and not past the expiration date, it can be donated! CAPSLO has a list of priority food items such as cereal, granola bars, bottled water, fruit cups, crackers, and more that can be found on the website. It is located by Trader Joe’s here in SLO and accepts walk-in donations.
Donating items after the school year is over not only helps people in need but the environment as well. Eliminating carbon emissions from overproduction can be combated by shopping second-hand, which of course relies on donations. There are millions of pounds of waste that go into landfill each year, and shopping second-hand prevents a lot of that. Typically, college students just throw out whatever they do not want to deal with moving out of their dorm, apartment, or house, and it usually ends up in the landfill, but as long as items are not dirty or broken, they should be donated! By planning a bit ahead and finding sustainable ways to get rid of unwanted items, students can slow down overconsumption and give them to useful organizations that really need them. Students accumulate so much clutter, and as satisfying as it is to do some spring cleaning, it is important that we make sure we get rid of everything in the most sustainable way possible!