Project Donation, the Grand Valley State University recycling program that takes place at the end of each year, is changing directions in order to better meet the needs of GVSU’s students. The program, started in 2005, places white boxes in the living centers around campus so students can recycle their unwanted housewares, clothing and food rather than throw them away. The items collected on the Allendale Campus are normally sent to outside organizations like Goodwill, Love Inc. and Guiding Light Ministries, but this year, the goods are being kept on campus.

Derek Plumb, assistant living center director for living and learning centers International House and PERL, said the original system was difficult to run because there was never a guarantee of getting the organizations what they needed.

This year, Facilities Services, Resident Housing Association, the Women’s Center and the Housing Department are coordinating the new program to meet the needs of the food pantry located in the Women’s Center.

The other new aspect of this year’s recycling program is a sub-program titled Project Donation: GVSU International fREeCYCLE, which aims to meet the needs of incoming international students. Boxes will be placed near entrances and exits on April 23.

The idea for the new program spawned from Douwe Driehuis, an international student from the Netherlands who arrived at GVSU in the fall of 2011 with nothing more than a suitcase.

“People used to come over and ask if we were robbed and I said no; it’s just because we can’t bring that much,” Driehuis said.

Driehuis and his roommate, also an international student, had to purchase all of their living essentials, including pots, pans and lamps, upon arrival in the U.S. At the end of the year, he said he noticed students were getting rid of gently used pots and pans, among other items.

“People throw [items] out because they don’t want them, or their parents are going to buy them a new set in the summer, or they just don’t use it anymore, but it is still perfectly usable,” Driehuis said, adding that he thought he could save the items for future international students in order to make their study abroad experience a little cheaper.

“I had a feeling that I had gathered a lot of stuff but it was gone in 10 minutes,” Driehuis said of a trial for the project.

All items collected will be sorted by volunteers and stored until next semester when a free “garage sale” will take place. Plumb said the majority of the items come from graduating seniors, people studying abroad, transferring freshman and international students themselves.

“We are collecting goods from the same people but essentially we are going to keep house wares for a free garage sale with the understanding that they will be given it back at the end of the year to keep a continuous cycle,” he said.

Plumb added that one of the main goals of Project Donation is to give students the opportunity to give back to their community.

“We are always trying to get students to give back to the community, usually through money,” he said. “College students are not financially savvy so this creates the idea of giving back with what you can.”

Raven McClinon, assistant supervisor of Facilities Services, added that the department wanted to give everyone a chance to donate, so the donation is also open to faculty and staff members who want to do some spring cleaning.

Another goal McClinon, Driehuis and Plumb agreed on was the idea of sustainability.

“It keeps the trash we take off campus lower,” McClinon said. “It has kept more things out of the landfill and as GVSU tries to become more sustainable I think that is an important goal.”

The Women’s Center Food Pantry will also be benefiting from the change in Project Donation. All food collected will be donated to the pantry to benefit all students in need. Kate Anderson, an intern at the Women’s Center, said that the pantry was used 250 times in the Fall 2011 semester and is in constant need of items.

“Helping Grand Valley’s students who are most in need would allow those students to focus their time, money, and energy upon more academic pursuits,” Anderson said.

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