Wrapping Up the Year- Literally

With less than two weeks left until the school year is over and I go home for the summer, I have begun to think about how I am going to clean out my entire dorm room. As I go through my things, I have started to gather all the loose papers and textbooks that have occupied my desk and drawers throughout the year, and the pile just keeps growing. Packing definitely requires a little strategizing, especially if you don't have a car that you can stuff everything into after your last final exam and drive home. So here are some tips to help you stay organized and have less of an impact on the planet while cleaning out your dorm room:
1. Recycle. I know this seems obvious, but the first thing I do when packing is find everything that I don't want to keep and throw it away. All my old papers are mixed in with trash or other things that can't be recycled, and my first instinct is to grab the whole pile and toss is in the garbage. But it only takes a few minutes to separate out the recyclables and carry them to a different disposal bin, so if you're anything like me, don't take the lazy way out this year and toss everything in the garbage in one trip.
2. Sell your textbooks to another student. Although websites like Half.com and Amazon are great for buying and selling used textbooks, chances are there is another student on campus who is using the same book next semester. So save some money and fuel on shipping and sell your books to a fellow student.
3. Store your stuff. Chances are you won't need everything in your dorm room during the summer, so make your life easier and find some friends to split a storage unit with. You can leave some of your things close to school so you can help avoid shipping a bunch of cardboard boxes home this summer. Saves you the hassle and is nicer on the planet!
4. Use plastic bins. If you do decide to store some of your items this summer, consider buying a few stackable plastic storage bins that you can reuse every year. This way you aren't using tons of cardboard that is going to be thrown away at the end of the summer, plus you can use the bins to store stuff under your bed during the school year.
I hope some of these tips help make your final weeks a little less stressful and easier on the planet!