10 Steps to a Greener College Move-In

My dad and stepmother spent this past weekend moving my half sister into her freshman year of college in South Carolina. They are likely in good company, as hundreds of thousands of parents get ready to pack up and drop off their kids at college.

But are the doing that packing up in a green and frugal way? If not, then they might appreciate these 10 steps to a greener college move in, courtesy of Dedee DeLongpre Johnston, director of sustainability at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (along with some of my commentary on the topic, too). Her goal is to make this very wasteful time of year–what with cardboard boxes, Styrofoam packing materials, and heaps of unanticipated duplicates end up in huge piles of trash outside residence halls and apartments–end up with a little less (or a lot less) trash in the end.

1. When shopping for school supplies, look for paper, pens, and notebooks with post-consumer recycled content. Consider re-using a backpack from last year. Upperclassmen will be re-using their bags – you won’t be alone.
2. Investigate whether your new campus offers a car-sharing program, like Zipcar. You may be able to avoid the expense and hassle of having a car on campus. If your family is accompanying you to move-in, you can take one car. Or maybe your college will force you to “avoid” the expense all together–because it doesn’t allow freshmen to have cars on campus. (That’s a pretty green move, in and of itself.)
3. Find out what will be waiting for you when you arrive. Some campuses have offices of sustainability or sustainability-related student groups who will outfit you with re-usable shopping bags, recycling bins, and sometimes even re-usable water bottles.
4. Pack clothes, shoes, and sheets in re-usable plastic crates or even pillow cases. Not only does this create less waste, but also allows you to pack these additional items in a way that takes up less space in the car. And you haven’t had to spend any money on moving boxes.
5. Wrap picture frames and other breakables in T-shirts, or towels. Sandwich larger items like framed posters between pillows, blankets or comforters, and tie it all up with re-usable twine or an extension cord. If you do need to use bubble wrap, find out where the nearest UPS Store is so you can take the bubble wrap there for recycle. (According to EcoCycle these franchises will recycle bubble wrap.) If you have those “inflatable” plastic cushions that shippers use, you can deflate them and recycle them in the same bins where you would drop plastic bags at the supermarket.
6. Pack school supplies in re-usable file crates with handles. The crates will come in handy for organizing schoolwork throughout the semester.
7. Contact roommates before packing to avoid unnecessary duplicates. Find out in advance who is bringing room furnishings, such as area rugs, tool kits, televisions or toaster ovens so you can save money buying new or have fewer things to pack.
8. Put toiletries in sturdy-handled shower baskets and re-usable zip-top bags. If your dorm has a communal bathroom on each floor, you will need one of these shower baskets to tote your toiletries in anyway. You can even pack all of this in a laundry basket, which you know for sure you will need at some point during the semester (at least this mom hopes you will).
9. Recycle any boxes you do bring on move-in day, especially new product cartons and packaging, by taking them to a designated collection site. Most campuses recycle cardboard, and some collect Styrofoam packaging.
10. Remember to pack enough re-usable water bottles for everyone helping with the move. Move-in day is usually among the hottest of the year so you know you’re going to be thirsty.

If you’re moving a child into his or her college dorm this year, what steps did you take to reduce waste?