Student Environmental Group Transforms Trash into Treasure

Eco-Action, a student-run environmental group at the College of the Holy Cross, will sponsor “Trash or Treasure,” from Friday, May 11 to Wednesday, May 16. Donations will be accepted until Tuesday, May 15 and picked up on May 16. The “Trash or Treasure” movement encourages students to leave unwanted items, such as lamps, office supplies, clothing, and books, in designated areas in their residence halls.  Rather than ending up in the trash, all unwanted belongings will be collected and redistributed to Worcester-area organizations including the Salvation Army and the Worcester Refugee Assistance Project.   The event, which is entirely student-run, began four years ago as an effort to reduce the amount of waste that is produced when students move out of their residence halls.

Last year, they opened the program to seniors living off-campus. It was so successful, that this year Eco-Action has arranged for a Salvation Army trailer to be on campus after Commencement for students to donate items.

Eco-Action strongly encourages students to not only to recycle, but to also self-assess their daily wasteful habits. Vivian Daley ’12, co-chair of Eco-Action, says, “This year, in addition to collecting donations, we would really like to educate the student body about reducing their waste. We hope that people take a look at what they’re donating and begin to evaluate if they are making good decisions when purchasing items.”