Unbelievable WASTE........

Wow. Unbelievable.

I think a mandatory course in college should be less WASTE and saving the environment. Or wait, there seems to be so much hype all the time on the environment & what we can do to make it better, but does ANYONE do it? Or is it an in one ear out the other type of thing?! I'm beginning to wonder.

Yesterday was graduation day at MLC (college in New Ulm). I realize this happens all across the country, but I really got my first look at it locally last night.

Phil, Nick & Zander went up there in the afternoon after they were done fishing at the river. I guess it's just a normal, end of the school year thing to do. Time to pack up & head home & what doesn't fit in your vehicle....well, it goes in any of the half dozen HUGE dumpsters they have by all of the dorms.

So they found a few things. Phil found a nice CD/radio boombox & set it to the side while looking for other things. But then they left...and he FORGOT the boombox!

So I headed to town last night with Nick & we were going to go to Walmart but he wanted to check the dumpsters again. So we did. We spent nearly an HOUR there. OH MY GOODNESS. I just can't BELIEVE the things people throw away. Such WASTEFUL & SINFUL in my opinion. Yes I know some of them have no choice because they can't fit it in their car or whatever but........there are soooo many options. I think all colleges should look into what these kids do. Why not set something up for anyone to come get the stuff for free instead of just THROWING it (and some were items that are NOT to be thrown away...computers, monitors, microwaves, etc....). Why not DONATE it to the local thrift stores. All the profits could be given back to the colleges!

I could go on & on.........so what did I end up taking home???
Well I think the best thing was the PIZZAA pizza oven! We already have one so this one will go to Ashley. We tried it this noon & it works just fine. There was one little crack in it which I'm assuming happened when it got tossed into the dumpster.

Rubbermaid totes. You name the size, I found it. I had Phil's little car so I was very limited on what I could take! Another guy was there & laughing as I'm trying to cram everything into the car. I said, well you have a big truck, fill it up...and he said he did, he's already taken THREE truckloads full home!!!

Xmas lights, a couple were brand new in the box yet.

Crystal picture frame, in the box never used.

Kleenex, brand new boxes.

College textbooks, which I was gonna throw but Phil said to check it out cause some books you can return for money (they were in the rubbermaids & I didn't go through everything until I got home)

Purse/coinpurse (for Lexi)

Pencil cases, nice one for Nick.

Notebooks/binders. The notebooks...about the first 2-10 pages were used & that was it. I won't have to buy ANY of those for school next year.

Filler paper. Lots of it.

Angel Xmas Tree topper (donating it)

Twin size mattress pad, looks new, (donating it)

Stapler/staples

Mesh hanging thing (Lexi put up in her room & filled w/ her stuffed animals)

There was a really nice like new footstool but I had NO room in the car for that!

The really nice plastic hangers. TON of them. And those other kind of hangers that you can put 4/5 pairs of pants on.

Envelopes/stationery/paper clips...office supply stuff

Furniture....like you wouldn't believe. Some of it was broken/icky so fine toss it. But their were plenty of dorm type chairs that were just fine & sitting in the trash.

Lamps

And lots of other things. I plan on taking some stuff to the thrift store, hey I'll take the tax write off for it!!! Why not??!??!?!

But the most idiotic thing we found. CHECK BLANKS. Phil came home with one set (I think Nick grabbed it) & he thinks it was from the frat house. It was a few years old but the check blanks were still there. And when I was looking around I saw 2 or 3 different sets. Why on EARTH would you just toss it & not shred it at least?! I realize the accounts are more than likely closed, but still. And I know that most businesses require an ID when writing out a check...but this is a small town & there are some that don't ask for ID. Just stupid. Really makes me wonder what DO these kids learn in college?? Apparently identity theft isn't one of them!

Maybe since I didn't get a free ride from my folks through college that the unbelieveable wastefullness really bothered me. That was what I told the other guy that was there...."I feel bad for the parents that paid for all this stuff & their kids just throw it away....and we have a country wondering why everyone is in Debt." HELLO, wake up People.

Ok, my rant is over!! Don't worry I won't be looking in your garbage the next I'm there!!!

Oh...one of the kids said he found an IPOD. And then he went home to try it & it WORKED. A WORKING IPOD. I'm wondering if that was thrown away by accident????

Oh & another thing I found was a cool ROLLING STONES alarm clock. Sticker on the back said $24.95