 "Photo: Erika Rich")
Some may have considered the dusty old couches, mismatched bed sheets and old books and clothes displayed Friday in the UT Recreational Sports Center as trash, but for others, the contents were abandoned treasure.
The Campus Environmental Center welcomed back students with "Trash to Treasure," its annual garage sale aimed at raising money for the center and giving students a chance to buy discounted, donated goods.
The sale prevents thousands of pounds of trash from entering city landfills, said Jenifer Wilde, event coordinator and assistant director of the center.
"This way, students are reusing the items and getting the most out of what would otherwise be trash," she said.
Wilde said the center is in charge of 50 aluminum and plastic recycling centers on campus and provides students with information about the effects of UT's carbon footprint through environment-focused projects.
Last year the center recycled more than 6,000 pounds of plastic and 318 ink cartridges and planted five trees. It is currently testing UT's greenhouse gas emissions.
Liberal arts honors freshman Caron Garstkca went to the garage sale to find a lamp but ended up finding the perfect dress.
"I think it's important to support student organizations at UT and help the environment at the same time," Garstkca said.
The garage sale, the center's largest fundraiser of the year, raised almost $18,000 last year, said math senior and the center's co-director Lucia Simonelli.
"All the money we raise goes right back into the center and our programs," Simonelli said. "It's cheaper than buying retail, and students use alternative ways to help the environment."
Plan II and psychology junior Laura Yonemoto said she prides herself on caring about the environment and that the sale promotes environmental consciousness, a prominent theme on the UT campus.
"We all have to live on Earth," she said, "and if we don't take care of it, what do we have to live for?"
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