Trash to treasure

Thousands of students moved out of their dorm rooms last week, and of course they didn’t take everything with them. But instead of throwing away all their unwanted stuff, many of them chose to recycle instead.

Chico State’s Diversion Excursion program collected 17,595 pounds of students’ leftovers to be reused or recycled instead of heading off to the landfill. Much of the material—clothing, electronics and nonperishable foods—went to charities and businesses including ARC Thrift Store, Esplanade House and Computers for Classrooms.

“The program has a big impact on the people who participate—not just the volunteers, but also the residents,” Diversion Excursion creator Luisa Garza of University Housing and Food Service said in a release. UHFS coordinated with Associated Students Recycling for the program. “Many had no idea how much stuff is recyclable.”

AS Recycling also collected nearly 4,000 pounds of cans, bottles, paper and other materials.