Sustainable Blacksburg Salutes Ytoss?!

It is about to happen! It’s fun! Green! Yes, this is the Greenest Win-Win Event of the Region! Sustainable Blacksburg is so grateful and proud to be a sponsor of Ytoss?, which is truly helping to make our town sustainable.

Ytoss?, the VT student-run program of the YMCA is now in its third year. Ytoss? collects student furnishings and clothing, even some food items that normally might be thrown out but are still very useable. The collection occurs during VT’s Move Out period, which begins May 3rd. The items are kept from being thrown out into dumpsters, cleaned, and stored then sold to students moving in and to the Blacksburg community in August. In 2007 Ytoss? kept almost NINE TONS, yes, that’s TONS, of items from being thrown out. And in 2006 Ytoss? saved about the same amount from being discarded and disposed into landfills. By keeping that much out of our local waste stream Ytoss? saves VT and the community $. VT saves approximately $4,000 each year in dumping fees. By re-selling the cleaned items (microwaves, refrigerators, clothes, etc.) to students and community members, Ytoss? saves them $ too.

The event has grown dramatically each year. In 2006 there were 61 campus collection volunteers, who gave a total of 692 hours. Sale volunteers that year were 41 with a total of 184 hours. The number of hours volunteered DOUBLED in 2007! This year is the first one with student co-chairs, John and Cameron, who have been involved since the first year of Ytoss? The amount of organization, spirit, enthusiasm, and pride these two students show is truly impressive. Gives me hope for what can be accomplished to make our community more sustainable!

Please support Ytoss? any way you can- by volunteering, by donating items, and by buying items during August…. The website is www.vtymca.org for more information or to volunteer.

Karen Cairns
April 26, 2008