In their book Cradle to Cradle, Michael Braungart and William McDonough share that “…90% of materials extracted to make durable goods in the US become waste almost immediately.” This should unsettle us, this should activate us to want to take action. But a major problem in this country is that we don’t see the result of our consumptive waste creation, let alone the waste generated by production itself. We can’t make all the changes necessary overnight and there isn’t one major solution to our waste problem. The solution probably looks like a combination of proactive policy, behavior change, and innovation. Right now, I want to focus on the behavior change aspect.
The best way to shift things in the right direction is to drastically limit the amount you purchase. If you’re looking for a particular item, always check to see if there is a second-hand option before buying new. In order for this to work, we need people to be willing to donate the items they aren’t using. Too often we let things sit around our houses waiting for the day we will need it. Guess what? You’ll probably be waiting a long time for that day! Another bad behavior is throwing perfectly good items in the trash out of pure laziness. Come on, we’re better than that! I think it’s important to give back to your direct community first, so while we’re at school that would be our Rowan community.
Resources for Donating
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True Colors, an LGBTQIA+ club on campus, is having a clothing drive, drop off your gently used clothing at 210A Hawthorn Hall or the Student Center info desk. Items will be collected up until April 5th. On April 11th, the Rowan community can come pick out clothing. Trans and GNC people get first dibs from 7-8pm which is awesome. After 8pm, the rest of the community is free to look for items.
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The SHOP, the wonderful student run center that helps to fight food insecurity on campus, also accepts some items other than food. Mainly school supplies, so if you have extra binders, notebooks, etc. lying around drop them off during their business hours. Please go here to get those hours, more details on what they will take, and contact information for more questions.
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The Office of Volunteerism is running a collection drive for the Eleanor Corbett House, for women in need. They’re asking for hygiene supplies, baby products, gloves, scarves, socks, and other necessities. Drop-off locations are Student Center 210, Admissions Office, Greek Affairs, Rec Center, and Hawthorn Hall. Email Khann8@rowan.edu with any questions.
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Have a large piece of furniture you don’t want to take with you when you leave Rowan? Call one of the many pickup services or make an appointment online: Goodwill, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, or Veteran Affairs. Or post it on Letgo or Facebook Marketplace if you feel you can get cash for it.
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For smaller items that aren’t accepted by the above services you can give them to a friend (only if they actually want it!) or drop it off at Goodwill or Thrift Village in town.
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What about books? Drop them off at the Glassboro Library, it helps them raise money for their many great programs and services. There’s also a textbook drop-off at the Barnes and Noble entrance if you can’t get cash for them. I suggest trying to find a student that might need that book for a future class first; I don’t really know what they do with the books at B&N.
Items That are Really Important to Safely Recycle
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Anything with refrigerants: air conditioners and–you guessed it–refrigerators! These are important because HFC’s, the chemical in them, is actually a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Free pickups can be scheduled through NJ’s Clean Energy Program by calling (877) 270-3520. They actually offer $50 for a fridge and $25 for air conditioning units!
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Have small electronics that you can’t get cash for? Take them to Staples to have them safely recycled. They even give you a coupon for a future purchase!
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Household batteries–this one might not be as convenient. In Glassboro, they no longer do Household Special Waste Collection Days so you have to drive kind of far to recycle them. Which means we should get some battery drop off stations on campus!
There’s so many more specifics on how to recycle and where to recycle certain items so please consult this source from Gloucester County Recycle Coach.