YMCA at Virginia Tech and Virginia Tech Recycling continue increase university sustainability efforts

29 Apr 2009

The YMCA at Virginia Tech and Virginia Tech Recycling will continue to focus efforts on reducing waste going into our local landfill during the fourth annual Ytoss? Recycling Program during student move out.

This year’s Ytoss? event will take place between Saturday, May 9 and Thursday, May 14, 2009 at a variety of locations on the Virginia Tech campus. The YMCA at Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech Recycling, the Town of Blacksburg, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Eleven West as well as several other campus and community based organizations are partnering for this year’s event.

Ytoss? cuts approximately $4,000 in dumping fees from the Virginia Tech budget each year and the program continues to expand. Ytoss? is a recycling based event designed to collect gently used items students typically “toss” during move out, including TVs, electronics, microwaves, refrigerators, furniture, rugs, clothing, hutches, fans and more. Non-refrigerated foods, paper products and laundry detergent (opened and unopened) are collected and donated to a local food bank.

Ytoss? reduces items being deposited in the landfill and increases Virginia Tech’s sustainability efforts, while providing a fundraising opportunity for the YMCA at Virginia Tech’s leadership development and outreach programs.

On April 1, the Ytoss? program was recognized with a bronze 2009 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award. This state recognition of the program helped reinforce the YMCA at Virginia Tech’s and Virginia Tech’s sustainability efforts and the hundreds of hours of service that help make this program a success.

During the collection period at Virginia Tech, Ytoss? will have seven campus collection points located near several residence halls between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day: West End Market, The Prairie (two locations), Slusher Beach, Owens Quad, Upper Quad, President’s Quad, with collection boxes placed at each house in Oak Lane Housing, the Graduate Life Center and various apartment leasing offices. All items collected during May Move Out will be resold August 20-21, at our annual Ytoss? Sale. This event, which takes place at our Y Center on North Main, is quickly becoming known as one of Blacksburg’s most well known garage sales.

For more information about volunteering for Ytoss?, please visit www.vtymca.org and click on Y Student Programs.

Sandy Wirt wrote this story.