Office of Public Affairs Acadia University Wolfville, Nova Scotia B0P 1X0 (902) 585-1362 Fax (902) 585-1072 News Release For Release:  April 24, 2001

FIRST EVER CANADIAN DUMP AND RUN

(Wolfville, NS) - With summer approaching Acadia students face the daunting task of cleaning out their rooms and packing up their apartments. With only a few short days between exams and moving it is tempting for students to leave behind items they no longer need. But Acadia students, concerned with environmental issues and community responsibility have come up with a better way to deal with discarded furniture, clothing and books, it is called the Dump and Run.

A Canadian first, the Dump and Run will take place at the Acadia Arena on Saturday April 28 from 9 am - 3 pm. Reusable items left behind by the student exodus will be sold to generate funds for local not-for-profit groups. This large yard sale is open to the public and aims to divert reusable items from local landfill sites.

Andy Spring, student organizer of the Acadia Dump and Run says, "The Dump and Run will ensure that junk left behind by students doesn't become an eye sore for Wolfville. Our purpose is to make sure that perfectly useable items don't end up at the local dump."

Originating in the United States, the Dump and Run program has been successful at reducing year-end campus waste. Statistics show that there is a significant increase in universities' solid waste every April and May as students gear up to leave. Universities may register as much as 50 tons more waste than usual. Acadia is the first Canadian university to adopt this environmentally friendly approach to campus clean up. With an environmentally friendly and community conscious student body, this unique project fits Acadia's character.

Spring says, "We are proud that Acadia is the first Canadian school to take on this project. It is well established in the United States and we are hoping other universities will see what Acadia is doing and also host such environmentally friendly events."

The Acadia Dump and Run initiative is also unique due to the community involvement supporting this truly cooperative event. Lisa Heller, founder of the American Dump and Run program explains, "There has never been such intense coalition building in any previous Dump and Run."

To make this event a success the Acadia Student Union and the Acadia Environmental Society have partnered with the Town of Wolfville and Valley Waste Resources Management. Volunteers from the Wolfville Lions Club and the Wolfville Children's Centre will be on hand to assist and will share the Dump and Run profits with student groups. The Canadian Diabetes Association will collect left over items at the end of the day. In this way the Dump and Run not only keeps the community clean but it also contributes funds to local not-for-profit groups.

In the last year, Acadia's waste resource recovery program has surpassed the province of Nova Scotia's target of 50 per cent diversion, achieving waste diversion of 53 per cent.
 

-30-

For more information contact:
Sheri Woodland
Communications Manager
Office of Public Affairs
Acadia University
(902) 585-1362
 
 
 

Acadia Home

Published by: The Office of Public Affairs Last revised: April 24, 2001 URL: http://www.acadiau.ca/whatsnew/newsrelease/2001/DumpAndRun_Apr24.html