Author: Elyssa G. Anneser (Page 1 of 7)

DONATIONS

Each year during spring semester Move-Out, the Tufts Office of Sustainability collects donation items as part of its “Trash to Treasures” program. The purpose of Trash to Treasures is to divert salvageable goods from landfills and instead provide them to community members who will use them.

DONATION STATION LOCATIONS

There will be two staffed donation stations, equipped with trailers and collection bins:  

1. Lower Campus (Haskell Hall on Latin Way)
2. Upper Campus (Carmichael Hall Parking Lot) 

There will be four 24/7 UPod drop-off locations:*

1. Haskell Hall on Latin Way
2. Carmichael Hall Parking Lot
3. Lot behind Metcalf Hall (tentative)
4. Hill Hall parking lot (tentative)

DONATION STATION DATES AND HOURS

Wednesday, May 5th – Friday May 7th: No donation stations, but students may drop off accepted donation items at any of the four UPods 24/7

Saturday, May 8th – Saturday, May 15th: Lower and upper campus donation stations are open and staffed from 10:00am-5:00pm daily

OFF-HOUR DONATING

UPods are open for drop-off at all hours from May 4th starting at 5:00pm through May 15th at 5:00pm.

If someone needs to donate at night when the donation stations are closed, please drop-off donations inside of one of the four UPod locations.

ACCEPTED DONATION ITEMS 

• Textiles: Clothing, sheets, shoes
• Household items: storage containers, dorm decor, fans, vacuums, large and small lamps, mirrors, waste bins, laundry baskets
• Dining hall dishes 
• Books and school supplies 
• Sports equipment and crutches
• Unopened, non-perishable food
• Cleaning supplies: laundry detergent, brooms and sweepers
• Toiletries: Unopened bottles, feminine hygiene products
• Kitchen cookware, working kitchen appliances
• Working electronics
• Furniture

We will have additional collection bins at both the lower and upper campus donation stations for recycling the following:  

• Plastic film, including grocery bags, air pillows, bubble wrap, and produce bags 
• Broken small electronics 
• Compost   

RECYCLING AND WASTE 

To increase the efficiency and equitability of Tufts’ Move Out process, bring your recycling and trash to an outside dumpster. This will ease the roles of our hardworking custodial and Facilities staff.

RECYCLING

Recycling dumpsters have blue lids. View up-to-date locations of campus recycling dumpsters on our Eco-Map.

View our website for more information about how-to-recycle and specialty recycling at Tufts.

TRASH

Trash dumpsters have black lids. View up to date locations of campus trash dumpsters on our Eco-Map.

There will additional be large open top trash dumpsters placed at the following locations: Harleston Hall (2), Latin Way (1), Carmichael (1), Talbot (1), Miller Hall (1), and Hill Hall (1).

View our website for more information about how to properly dispose of your waste at Tufts.

Job Description:

Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu serves as an At-Large Councilor representing all of Boston’s neighborhoods. Her office is offering a paid summer policy fellowship for a local graduate student to contribute a meaningful policy project in line with Councilor Wu’s focus on climate change, income inequality, and systemic racism. This fellowship opportunity is open to current graduate school students who will be residing in Boston during the summer. The fellowship may also include attending community meetings, managing and responding to constituent services requests, and providing staff support to the Councilor.

More information and application here

 

Job Description:

Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu serves as an At-Large Councilor representing all of Boston’s neighborhoods. To support Councilor Wu’s work to promote diversity within local government, especially on her focus areas of climate change, income inequality, and systemic racism, her office is seeking a positive, passionate, hard-working, local undergraduate student to participate in a paid, 8-10 week summer internship. This internship opportunity is open to current undergraduate students who will be residing in Boston during the summer.

More information and application here

 

Happy Valentine’s day from the Office of Sustainability! Who is your special Valentine this year? This year (and every year) our valentine is the Earth! We love the Earth, because it is our home and like any home, we have to care for it and show our appreciation every day. The Earth gives so much to us and asks for so little in return, but every now and then, our beautiful home could use some help and appreciation.

Valentine’s Day may only be one day a year, but you can show the Earth how much you love it every day!

These are just some of the things we do to show Earth love today and every day:

• Conserve energy: turn off the lights!
• Grab a reusable mug to get some coffee.
• Bundle up, instead of turning up the heat.
• Be prepared: carry a reusable shopping bag everywhere!
• Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot
• Compost: turn spoil into soil.
• Unplug all electronic devices and spend time with friends and family.

How do you show your love for the Earth?

We asked the Eco-Reps to send us their thoughts about loving the Earth. Here are a couple of their responses:

The other day, I was walking home with a friend when suddenly she stopped and grabbed my arm “Look, its an owl in the tree!” she exclaimed! Upon closer inspection, our owl was really a white plastic bag perched in the branches. Unfortunately, this experience is not a novel one; every day, we walk past plastic litter in the streets and without thinking twice about it, but the City of Boston has decided to do something about this. This past December, Boston became the 60th community in Massachusetts to introduce a “ban” on plastic bags. The “ban” that will go into effect December of 2018, but it isn’t exactly a ban. Consumers will still be able to use plastic bags in the city, but there will be a 5 cent charge for each bag used. This ban is essentially a tax on plastic bags, incentivizing consumers to bring their own bags while shopping in Boston.

There is strong evidence that these plastic bag bans are extremely effective at reducing the amount of plastic waste in the environment. According to Scientific American, the plastic bag tax which was implemented in Ireland in 2002 has to lead to 95% reduction in plastic bag litter in the Irish environment. In San Jose, a plastic bag ban has reduced the amount of plastic bags found in storm drains by 90%.

Only time will tell how effective the ban will we at reducing plastic waste in Boston, but there are simple actions that consumers can do to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment. The easiest way to reduce your plastic consumption is to bring reusable bags whenever you go shopping!

For more tips on reducing your waste while shopping checks out some tips from Bea Johnson!