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Ingrid Baker of the YMCA at Virginia Tech sent out this release this morning, reminding folks that the annual Ytoss? efforts during campus move-out are fast approaching and have expanded this year to Radford University:

The YMCA at Virginia Tech & Virginia Tech Recycling will continue to focus efforts on reducing waste going into our local landfill during student Move Out during the upcoming 4th annual Ytoss? recycling program. This year’s Ytoss? event will take place between May 9 and May 14, 2009 at a variety of locations on the
Virginia Tech campus. The YMCA at Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech Recycling (VTR), 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 VTR Move Out expenditures 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 as well. 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. According to Larry Bechtel, Virginia Tech’s Recycling Coordinator, “Ytoss? has significantly expanded the university’s ability to express its commitment to sustainability and recycling, and has at the same time enabled VTR and the Grounds Department to deal more comprehensively and effectively with “trash” and recycling handling issues during Student Move Out.”
“The great thing about Ytoss? is the synergy that it promotes between the Virginia Tech campus and the local community, thus impacting both in multiple ways. Ytoss? provides students [as well as faculty, staff and community members] an opportunity to give back to a community that has always been there for them, empowers individuals to lead more sustainable lifestyles, green the VT campus, provide a network to further involvement in student organizations, and enhance the college experience through community service, says Alex Funk, senior in Environmental Policy & Planning and one of two student Co-Directors for the 2009 Ytoss? event. While keeping items out of the local landfills is one of the many primary goals of Ytoss? an additional significant component is the development of student leadership through direction and interactions with a variety of campus and community members. According to Zack Helmintoller, sophomore
in Accounting and the second Co-Director for this year’s event, “being involved with Ytoss? for the past two years has been hugely instrumental in my development as a student and as a leader. Ytoss? has made me become much more responsible and has led me to get involved in numerous other volunteer organizations including those that do not pertain to environmental sustainability. Getting involved with this wonderful program has shown me how rewarding and how much fun giving back to the community can truly be. If I had not gotten involved with Ytoss?, I feel like I would not be as involved in the community, nor would I have developed some of the leadership skills that I will need later on in life.”
On April 1st, 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. According to Gail Billingsley, the Executive Director of the YMCA at Virginia Tech, her enthusiasm was hardly contained indicating that she was “very excited that Ytoss? was recognized not only as one of the best Environmental Programs in the state, but one that they [the state review panel] felt was sustainable and replicable.”
The program is so replicable in fact, that Radford University has adopted Ytoss? as one of this year’s campus move out programs and have partnered with the YMCA at Virginia Tech in its implementation. The Ytoss? event at Radford University will take place May 5-8th at four campus collection points from 12-5 each day: Tyler Hall (Residential Life Office), Moffett Hall (ROTC Office), Peery Hall Lounge and Muse Hall Lobby. This inaugural event, being held in conjunction with RU Recycling, Residential Life, RU’s Green Team and the ROTC, will allow the Y to grow this very successful program throughout the New River Valley and continue developing valuable partnerships within the community.
During the collection period (at Virginia Tech), Ytoss? will have seven campus collection points conveniently located near several residence halls between 10 am and 5 pm 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 notorious garage sales. For more information about volunteering for Ytoss?, please visit www.vtymca.org and click on Y Student Programs.