Sale nets $1200 and keeps countless pounds of usable items out of landfills

September 8, 2009

The first ever Rutgers Recovering our Resources rummage sale took place on September 4 and 5, and by every measure it was a success. The sale kept countless pounds of usable items out of the dumpster and out of the landfill, saving money for the university. The program provided dozens of students and community members the luxury of new or almost new items at a very inexpensive price. The sale showed Rutgers teamwork at its finest--from the donation by Snyder Farm of two of its twenty foot by twenty foot canopies to the monumental effort by the Residence Life staff to get the word out to every student on the New Brunswick campuses.

"The sale netted us over $1,200, funds which can be channeled back into our Rutgers Stewardship efforts," said student coordinator AJ Bozenmayer. "We learned a lot, and we can see that we can easily triple our proceeds with just a few changes next year."

But Bozenmayer, and Priscilla Hayes, who co-founded the program, agreed that the greatest success and joy was in the positive feedback from the people who both participated in the 'sorting parties' in the spring to those who made use of the many items that would ordinarily be thrown away.

"Over and over people told us what a great idea this was, and how glad they were that we were keeping all these items out of the landfill," Hayes said. "As someone who has been working to create policy for better resource use over the years, it is so gratifying to see Rutgers modeling policy, especially for our students, who will make policy in the future."

The sale was clearly a hit with shoppers and volunteers alike. One student shopper built a pile of items to purchase, crowing over the small amount he was anticipating spending, even as the pile got larger and larger. A group of roommates shopped through the items carefully, finding many essentials for their new shared apartment. A graduate student couple spent at least an hour shopping, testing out chairs, discussing the merits of a lace dress, and sampling the books. Sara Sukenik, a pharmacy graduate student who gave up her entire Saturday morning to volunteer at the sale, helped shoppers figure out how to assemble items they bought, and left with some treasures of her own. Karen Musinguzi, School of Arts and Sciences, class of 2011, brought a notebook and some clothing to donate when she came to volunteer for the sale on Friday evening.

With the exception of a couple items donated on the spot by volunteers, all the items sold had been collected last spring at move-out. Items collected and sold included lamps, chairs and other small furniture, printers, computer monitors, televisions, kitchen items, clothing, shoes, a few toys and stuffed animals, and a range of other items which caused Sukenik to comment, "How random."

The Rutgers departments involved included the Solid Waste Resource Renewal Group (SWRRG) at Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, University Facilities, Rutgers Housing and Residence Life, Academic Engagement and Programming, campus deans from the Office of Undergraduate Education, the Office of Student Life, and the Department of Transportation Services. Robert M. Goodman, executive dean of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences is working with SWRRG on long term planning related to the program. Rutgers Snyder Research Farm, a new partner, donated two of its giant tent canopies to provide a pleasant shopping experience.

The Rutgers Stewardship series will continue with two volunteer events at the Foran Conservation Garden on September 19 and October 24, 2009. The Foran Conservation Garden is an effort to create an entire "garden room" in the courtyard between Foran Hall and the Cook Douglass Lecture Hall. The courtyard includes a native plants garden surrounding Spiral Field, a sculpture by Charles Fahlen (1993). The courtyard also includes several rain gardens, small native plant gardens which serve to recharge rainwater to underground aquifers. Contact Kaitlin Fischer, Student Coordinator, at kfisch@eden.rutgers.edu or 732-744-6223, or Priscilla Hayes, at 732-932-9155, x233, hayes@aesop.rutgers.edu.

About the Solid Waste Resource Renewal Group
For over 10 years, the SWRRG at the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station has provided leadership and coordination in innovative waste reduction, green purchasing and recycling of food waste, computers, fluorescent light bulbs, mercury-containing devices and waste paint. Through the only New Jersey-wide food residuals recycling initiative, SWRRG has brought together waste generators, recyclers and local government to find optimal ways of diverting food waste away from landfills and into the production of energy and soil amendments, which are vitally needed in the state and adjoining region. The group has provided research and outreach to entrepreneurs, generators and other stakeholders.


Contact: Priscilla E. Hayes
Director
Solid Waste Resource Renewal Group
732-932-9155, ext. 233
hayes@njaes.rutgers.edu