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Happenings in the Keweenaw Peninsula Posted April 28, 2004 Press Release © 2004 MTU Environmental Sustainability Committee.

First Dump-N-Run, or Green Exchange, to be Apr. 30-May 1

HOUGHTON -- "One person's trash is another's treasure" is a familiar phrase, but few people ever go so far as donating the items for which they no longer have use. The Environmental Sustainability Committee (ESC) at Michigan Tech University is dedicated to serving the university and community in waste prevention techniques and helping people to find treasures in the midst of items that might otherwise end up taking up space in the dump. 

This is why the ESC is organizing the first Dump-N-Run, or Green Exchange, event in this area. Dump-N-Run goals are to reduce the amount of waste generated at Michigan Tech and in the local area by extending the useful life of items no longer needed by the current owner. Students and the community are encouraged to drop off unwanted items on Friday, Apr. 30, between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Rozsa parking lot on MTU's campus or on Saturday, May 1, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Dee Stadium, located on Houghton's waterfront. The items that will/will not be accepted are listed below. 

Items to Bring (ESC reserves the right to refuse any donated item.)
Art work/posters
Bedding
Bins, baskets, Rubbermaid containers, etc.
Books, binders, & other school supplies
CDs, tapes, movies, video games
Cleaning supplies
Clothes & shoes (must be clean!)
Food (non-perishable)
Furniture (tables, chairs, futons, desks, etc.)
Holiday lights
Kitchen items (must be clean!)
Laundry supplies
Lumber (dorm lofts, etc.)
Pet supplies
Plants
Sports equipment & recreational items (games)
Towels (must be clean!)
Toys
TVs, stereos, CD and tape players, walkmans
White boards, bulletin boards, cork boards, etc.

Items Not to Bring
Broken items
Computers
Dirty, stained or torn clothing
Flammable Items (gasoline, oil, etc.)
Halogen Lamps
Mattresses
Tires
Toxic Items (paint, etc.)
Weapons

Did you know ...?

Did you know that each American uses up 20 tons of basic raw materials annually? If the earth's six billion inhabitants were all at this consumption level, at least four additional planets worth of resources would be needed to support all these resource hogs. The average North American consumes ten times as much as the average person living in China and thirty times as much as the average person living in India.

Not only do Americans use a large amount of raw materials, we also throw a significant quantity away; in one year alone, Americans generate enough waste to fill a convoy of garbage trucks long enough to wrap around the Earth six times and still be able to reach halfway to the moon. In 2001, 229 million tons of waste was generated by Americans. The average college student pitches in around 640 pounds of solid waste each year, which includes 500 disposable cups (reusable mugs can be purchased at Michigan Tech's Memorial Union Building) and 320 pounds of paper.* 

Over the years, it has become accepted that the items we no longer have use for are trash. What millions of people fail to realize is that the concept of trash is based on our perception. The Environmental Sustainability Committee (ESC) wants to change this perception. On Saturday, May 1, at the Dee, the "trash" (the donated items) will be up for sale for new owners to treasure. Proceeds of the Dump-N-Run sale will go to the City of Houghton and ESC. Any lumber donated will be given to the Copper Country Cycling Club for trail improvements. Other items will be donated to the BKG Shelter Home for Abused Women and Children, St. Vincent de Paul, Goodwill, the Salvation Army and the Humane Society.

Dump-N-Run is sponsored by ESC, Chi Epsilon, City of Houghton, Copper Country Cycling Club and the Students for Environmental Sustainability (SfES). For more information, visit the ESC website or contact Shalini (shalini@mtu.edu).

* Visit the ESC website for paper recycling information. See also the June 2002 article by Kenneth Thiemann on the establishment of ESC by former MTU President Curt Tompkins and the beginning of the paper recycling program.