ÑÇÖÞAV

DUBUQUE, Iowa - As ÑÇÖÞAV students moved out of their residence halls at the end of spring semester last week, they were encouraged to Donate, Don't Dump in an effort to divert usable items from the landfill and redistribute them back to the community.

Clothes, shoes, hangers, laundry baskets, blankets, rugs, mirrors, decorations, trash cans, and even a bike were some of the 9.5 cubic yards of donations collected - close to a standard dump truck's worth! The donations will be redistributed through the Dubuque Rescue Mission in the community or the Food Share Co-Op, Success Shop, and Academic Success Center on campus.

"Iowans generate 2.8 million tons of solid waste per year, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). In 2022, the IDNR completed a waste characterization study in Dubuque and found that over 10 percent of residential waste is textiles and packaged foods," said Ashley Noonan, MS, stewardship and sustainability coordinator at UD. "As students move out, that's a lot of what they may choose to leave behind - bedding, rugs, clothes, and unopened non-perishable food. Donate, Don't Dump helps UD reduce our environmental impact by providing a convenient location for students to donate these items."

Donation bins were placed in the common areas of residence halls. Twenty faculty, staff, and student volunteers sorted the items. Four members of Alpha Eta Rho, an aviation fraternity, also collected the donations and delivered them to the Dubuque Rescue Mission on one of the delivery days.

For Emma Powell (C'23), coordinator of student engagement and formation at UD as well as a graduate student in the master in management - organizational diversity and inclusion leadership program, the opportunity to volunteer at Donate, Don't Dump was a perfect opportunity to give back on campus.

"When I was an undergraduate student here, I put stuff I did not want any more in Donate, Don't Dump bins on move out day, but I did not really know where they went after that. Now as a staff member, it feels full circle to make sure donations are sorted and truly helpful to those who receive them," she said.

Emily Rollins, MA, director of vocation, career services, and community engagement, was inspired to give back to the community as Donate, Don't Dump supports the Food Share Co-Op and Success Shop that her office oversees. Some of the non-perishable food and drink donations that were redistributed to the Food Share Co-Op were immediately taken by other students.

"This is an important event on campus, because it helps students to not only think of others but to also help the environment," Rollins said. "Instead of tossing perfectly good items into the dumpster, they can instead spend a few seconds thinking of others who may be able to benefit from the items they no longer need. It is a project that helps our wider Dubuque community and environment."

Off campus partners also helped with the effort. Green Iowa AmeriCorps assisted the Dubuque Rescue Mission to prepare for and process donations from students. Through their thrift stores and community programs, the Dubuque Rescue Mission will redistribute the items to community members.

"Donate, Don't Dump is an important event for our campus because it allows us to help give back to our community, sometimes without even realizing it," Powell said. "By repurposing old furniture, clothes, and things that students don't need anymore, we are able to reduce waste and support others in need. What might seem like clutter to a student can become a meaningful resource for someone else in the community, which makes an impact beyond the UD campus."