Written by Emily Green
This year marks my final year at university, and with it, my last time moving out of my campus accommodation. It feels quite bittersweet, packing up memories, saying goodbye to my uni friends, and realising how much stuff I’ve gathered along the way.
But as a Student Sustainability Advisor, I knew I didn’t want my last move-out to be wasteful. End of semester move-outs are notorious for generating waste. Food gets left behind, usable items get thrown out, and students are always rushing to clear out without thinking about where everything ends up. But this year, I wanted to do things differently, both for myself and the wider student community.
On a personal level, I started with simple things like organising “leftover dinners” with my housemates and friends to use up whatever was left in the fridge and pantry.
We ended up with some weird food combos, but it was really fun coming up with meals together and a nice way to share one last dinner before moving out.
I also did a quick Vinnies run to drop off clothes and household stuff I didn’t need anymore. It felt good knowing it would go to someone else instead of the bin.
At the same time, I was working on something bigger, with food donation boxes across the residence houses at Charles Sturt University in Albury-Wodonga.
The idea is that students can drop off unopened, non-perishable food they don’t want to take home, and at the end of semester the donations go to Albury Wodonga Foodshare. It’s been amazing to see this already begin and its proof that small individual contributions can add up to something more meaningful. Wagga campus is also running a similar initiative, and together we’re hoping this becomes a regular tradition at CSU.
I won’t pretend it isn’t a juggle however, trying to pack up my own life while also helping others with theirs. But there is something special about finishing my time at uni this way. It felt like I was closing a chapter not just for myself, but also leaving behind a small tradition of sustainability for future students.
Moving out sustainably doesn’t have to be complicated, it can be as simple as doing a group load of laundry to save water, passing on a mattress to a student staying on res next year, or donating food you won’t use. For me, it was a way to make my last move out more meaningful, and a reminder that sustainability is as much about community as it is about the environment.
Each campus have their own initiatives each year so ask your RL what programs are in place on your campus to help you move out sustainably.
You can donate non-perishable food items to your campus food pantry. Either take these items to the pantry during its opening hours, or hand them to the Student Connection Officer on campus.
Charlie blog is a SSAF initiative.
