Thursday, April 23, 2009
Does a mini-fridge take up more space than a bookshelf? Will a bike fit in the trunk? How many T-shirts worth of space does a CD collection take up?
When the thrill—and the parties—that mark the end of the school year wears off, you’ll still be left to pack for the trip home, for your ever-approaching August move, or for that summer internship in the big city. Don’t get stuck with a home full of stuff, a tiny car and the urge to toss everything into a dumpster. Instead, plan ahead and donate your unwanted stuff.
Captain Planet: Clothes that you put in Planet Aid boxes—several locations can be found around Lawrence—are sold to secondhand stores and textile recyclers, or sent directly to programs in Africa.
“Students don’t think about it, but the end of the semester can sneak up on us,” says Jeff Severin, director of the Center for Sustainability.
Start thinking about what items you won’t need in your next residence, and start donating now. Begin with the items you won’t need before you move, such as winter clothes, Severin says.
Captain Planet: Clothes that you put in Planet Aid boxes—several locations can be found around Lawrence—are sold to secondhand stores and textile recyclers, or sent directly to programs in Africa.
“So when you move, it’s not really a rush to dump everything in the trash and run. Plan ahead so you’re disposing of those things responsibly,” Severin says.
Lawrence has a wealth of donation opportunities, so if you spend a little time driving around town now, you can avoid the dumpsters come move-out day.
Planet Aid box locations
Planet Aid box locations
Checkers, 2300 Louisiana Street
Food 4 Less, 2525 Iowa Street
Hy-Vee, 4000 West Sixth Street
Hy-Vee, 3504 Clinton Parkway
Lasting Impressions, 711 West 23rd Street
Lawrence Food Mart, 3300 West Sixth Street
Midland Farm Store, 1401 North Diagonal
Miller Mart, 2311 Clinton Parkway
Oassas' Cafe, 409 East 12th Street
Old Gas Station, 810 North Second Street
Penn House, 1035 Pennsylvania Street
Sam's Food Mart, 1900 Haskell Avenue
Swansea, Inc., 1801 West Second Street
Westlake Ace Hardware, 601 Kasold Street
Yello Sub, 1814 West 23rd Street
816.472.1518
It’s no accident that the Planet Aid donation boxes look like dumpsters, says Amanda Irvin, area manager for Planet Aid.
“The people who make donations to Goodwill or The Salvation Army do that pretty consistently,” Irvin says. “But then there are people who typically throw things away. We just give them an avenue for that stuff that isn’t the garbage.”
Planet Aid sells donated items to secondhand stores and textile recyclers or sends items directly to programs in Africa. Money from the sale of items goes to help the same programs.
Planet Aid boxes can be found in front of Yello Sub, 1814 West 23rd Street, and Office Depot, 2525 Iowa Street. All locations are listed with this story at Kansan.com/jayplay.
1805 East 19th Street
785.843.6835
You might hate the pattern on your old sheets or crave new towels for your next place, but the animals at the Lawrence Humane Society would be happy with your old ones. Drop off any clean, unwanted bedding, blankets, towels and sheets at the Lawrence Humane Society or the drop box at PetCo, 3115 Iowa Street. The shelter gives the bedding to the animals to make their stays more comfortable, says Robin Evans, office manager of the humane society.
1120 West 11th Street
785.864.4600
Kansas Audio-Reader Network collects CDs, records, books on CD, musical instruments and audio equipment of all kinds (speakers, receivers, etc.) for its annual “For Your Ears Only” sale. The sale is a fundraiser for Audio-Reader, a reading and information service for the blind. To donate, just drop materials off at Audio-Reader, 1120 West 11th Street, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, or between 8 a.m. and noon, Saturday and Sunday. Audio-Reader cannot accept mix tapes or burned CDs or DVDs, however.
“We can only sell items that have been commercially produced,” Lori Kesinger, program manager, says. “Nothing needs to be sealed or in the original packaging, but it all needs to be usable, of course, because we’ll end up reselling it.”
Swamped with stuff: Make money from your old clothes, books, CDs and DVDs.
Friends of the Lawrence Public Library Drop Box
Lawrence Public Library
707 Vermont Street
The Friends of the Library drop box is the easiest way to get rid of your unwanted books, CDs and DVDs. Leave donations in the big wooden box of the Lawrence Public Library. The Friends of the Lawrence Public Library will sell your stuff at its biannual book sale.
The Lawrence Re-Cyclery
711 West 23rd Street
785.856.1236
The Re-Cyclery is a low-cost alternative to a normal bike shop that buys, sells and fixes bikes, says owner Brian Shay. You’re most likely to score some cash for your bike at the Re-Cyclery if it’s in working condition and you originally bought it at a bike shop, Shay says. But if you have a bike from Wal-Mart or a similar department store that is in working condition, the Re-Cyclery will take it as a donation.
“Some bikes we can fix up, some bikes we can take parts off, some bikes we pass along,” Shay says.
Lawrence Street Maintenance Division
1120 Haskell Avenue
785.832.3031
Your broken bike doesn’t need to be tossed in a dumpster, though. Drop your bike at the Lawrence Street Maintenance Division to ensure it a better life. Bikes collected are taken to the Lansing Correctional Facility where inmates repair them before giving them away, says Margie Baston, administrative support for the facility.
Waste Reduction and Recycling Division
785.832.3030
There are some items you can’t throw in a dumpster, even if you want to. If you have household cleaning products, poisons, pesticides, paint, aerosol sprays or automotive liquids, call the Waste Reduction and Recycling Division. You’ll need to set up a time to drop off the items.
Don’t worry, though, even hazardous waste can be reused. Items that are still usable will go to the Product ReUse Facility where they are offered free of charge to anyone who wants to set up an appointment to “shop.”
Check the City of Lawrence/Douglas County Household Hazardous Waste Facility website for a full list of items the facility collects free of charge.
Lawrence Humane Society Garage Sale
1805 East 19th Street
785.843.6835
The Lawrence Humane Society is accepting anything but clothing for its garage sale. Take items directly to the humane society unless you have a large amount, says Robin Evans, office manager. For large donations, call ahead so someone from the humane society can meet you at a storage site.
The United Way of Douglas County Community Garage Sale
785.843.6626
If you’re looking for a one-stop drop off for all of your worldly possessions, arrange a time to dump your stuff at the United Way’s storage container. The United Way of Douglas County is collecting items for its community garage sale, which will be held July 31 and August 1. Unless your items are stained, ripped, broken or hazardous, the United Way will accept them, says Colleen Gregoire, vice president/campaign manager for the United Way of Douglas County.
Information about student-friendly collection days should be available in May through KU Environmental Stewardship, Gregoire says. But if you’re ready to drop off items now, contact the United Way at 785.843.6626 or deliver items to the storage container at the Eagle’s Lodge, 1803 West Sixth Street, on May 14 between 6 and 8 p.m., on May 16 between 8 a.m. and noon, or on May 30 between 8 a.m. and noon.
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