Report of the Reduce/Reuse Subcommittee of the Move In/Move Out
task force
April 10, 2013
The Reduce/Reuse subcommittee was formed from a larger task force,
created by Minneapolis 3rd Ward Council Member Diane Hofstede, in
response to concerns raised by residents about the volume and
management of curbside and alleyway trash at peak move in and move
out times in the campus area neighborhoods. The scope of the
Reduce/Reuse subcommittee does not include the management or
regulation of household waste, as that is a function of city government.
This subcommittee was specifically created to see what could be done to
reach out to and educate student tenants and other residents to reduce the
amount and nature of waste that is left at curbside—to reduce and reuse.
The pilot project of the subcommittee builds on the experience of the South
East Como Improvement Association’s “Move In/Move Out”, (MIMO)
program that was operated by SECIA in the Como neighborhood from
2010 to 2012. The pilot program described below will not have all the
features and benefits that were provided through MIMO, but has been
developed based on currently available resources.
Members of the Subcommittee: Stacey White, UMN ReUse Program;
Carolyn Collopy, Hennepin County Environmental Services; Kendre
Turonie, UMN Student and Community Relations; Al Ditty, City of
Minneapolis; Ricardo McCurley, South East Como Improvement
Association; David Herberholz, City of Minneapolis; Jan Morlock, UMN
Community Relations.
The campaign: We are developing a phased campaign to reduce waste
at the curbside/alley and to encourage reuse of usable household items.
The “Pack and Give Back” campaign begins with the Marcy-Holmes and
SE Como neighborhoods this May.
We are creating communications in the form of email postings by the
neighborhood organizations, a website, fliers to be distributed door-to-door
by Student Neighborhood Liaisons through Office for Student Affairs, a
Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/PackGiveBack?group_id=0) ,
and a hotline, to be staffed by UMN OSA, during peak move in/out times to
answer last minute questions. (http://www.facm.umn.edu/about/centralservices/reuse/packandgiveback/ )
During the month of May, the UMN ReUse Program will host a free store
and household reusable item drop off at the ReUse Warehouse in the SE
Como neighborhood.
We have partnered with the Salvation Army to provide trucks and drivers to
pick up reusable items along the City's trash and recycling routes one day
prior to the City's collection day over the week of May 27-31.
If students or other residents miss the opportunity to drop off reusable
items at UMN ReUse or miss the Salvation Army pick-up we will direct
them to 612-328-1265 for a next day pick up (or a time of their choice)
from the Salvation Army.
In addition to the neighborhood reduction effort, reusables from the oncampus residence halls move-out will be brought to the free store as well.
The free store will run during peak move in/out times, which are May and
September. The campaign will focus its outreach on students, but any
residents of the neighborhoods participating in the Pack & Give Back
program are welcome to donate their reusables and shop at the free store.
Items collected during May that are not reused will be stored until the next
free store in September.
Measuring results: Through these multiple collections we will collect data
(tonnage and possibly a trash assessment) to track the successes of the
program and modify as needed for the September move in/out.
Student academic engagement: Behind the scenes we have partnered
with the Personal Leadership (Leadership Minor) class to focus on three
projects:
1. Review what other campus-area communities are doing during move
in/out times to learn what we can apply to the campaign here in MarcyHolmes and SE Como (UMN Community Relations and SECIA are the
course project partners).
2. Identify current awareness levels of student residents in the Minneapolis
campus-area neighborhoods in an effort to focus on education where
needed (Hennepin County is the course project partner).
3. Identify what is successful for students living in residence halls (dorms)
at UMN and determine what can be applied to the neighborhoods
surrounding the university (UMN ReUse is the course project partner).
The students in the course presented their findings and recommendations
on April 22 at a class meeting to which subcommittee and Alliance
Livability Committee members were invited. The presentations included
very useful insights and recommendations that will be incorporated into the
planning for the pilot project.
Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis are looking into an internship
through the University Career and Internship Program to review current
regulatory fees and structure.
Supporting initiatives: There is a potential for a Household Hazardous
Waste collection event, and a “Fixit Clinic” (partnerships with Hennepin
County) in September—there are logistics to work out, so no
announcements can be made on this yet.
OneShirt National Collegiate Clothing Challenge—during Earth Week, the
Office for Student and Community Relations will collect donated gentlyused clothing at collection points on campus.
(https://www.facebook.com/events/142553095917466/)
Media coverage: The Star Tribune’s On-Campus Beat:
http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/201351491.html. KSTP is
interested in covering the campaign on-site while pickups and the free
store are in operation.