As the end of the semester nears, Arizona State University is urging students to " Ditch the Dumpster" and donate their unwanted mini fridges, bean bag chairs and extra-long sheet sets instead.
Now in its seventh year, the program asks students moving out of campus housing to donate or recycle unwanted items like furniture, appliances and clothing, which then go to local charity partners like Goodwill and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Katie Schumacher, a project manager with ASU's Zero Waste team, which oversees the campaign, said without Ditch the Dumpster, tons of material would clog landfills and give off harmful emissions.
"Last year we collected 24 tons, which is about 48,560 pounds of donated items, and we're hoping to double what's donated and recycled from last year's numbers," she said.
To do that, Schumacher said they've set up 24-hour donation rooms in more residence halls this year on the Downtown Phoenix, Polytechnic, Tempe and West campuses. The program runs through May 8.