#trash2treasure

In college, I helped organize and run the campus yard sale, which was billed less as a sale and more as a big recycling project: We collected thing students didn’t want from their dorms as they moved out at the end of the semester so that they didn’t just throw them away, and then at the beginning of the next semester, we sold them back to the community and donated/recycled the leftovers.

For size context, I sold ten pens for $1 and a Roomba for $25. Minifridge with microwave goes for at most $50. Each sale, we made at least $12,000 with stuff left over. (We were non-profit; the money went to other campus clubs that volunteered and covered our storage and box costs. Though one year, we got a better storage deal and had some money left over, so us admins got team jackets.)

So yeah, here are things that college students owned in their dorms/apartments in Boston, decided “I don’t want this anymore,” and then gave to us for free by leaving them in a big red bin in a lobby:

- too many crutches and half-filled shampoo bottles

- plush seal from the local aquarium that still had the tag on (that I snagged for myself because I previously had bought my brother the same one and knew it was $30)

- an opened resealable package of frozen sliced salmon

- a wooden box with nails sticking out of it on most sides. The current students must’ve changed the password so graduates like me can’t log into the Drive anymore so I can’t get the picture from the Relics folder, but it was a mystery for years and we continued to show it to new members as the highlight of what could emerge in this project. I think what we eventually guessed it was was like an antique corn holder or something

- whatever shot glass, pouring cup, tableware, cup set things these are:

- unopened copy of Shadow of Mordor for the PS3 (that I snagged before the sale started shh)

- a PS3

- a PS4

- this TV

- mini hammer that becomes screwdrivers

- set of coffee table books with textured covers and gilded pages featuring pictures of watches

- plush lima bean

- M&M camera

昨年8月に開催された、自然体験と海洋ゴミを考えるイベント「黒潮のふぁーなー」の第2回を4月1日に開催致します。今回もまた、ビーチクリーン、サバニ体験、海洋ゴミ学習、そしてゴミアート製作のワークショップ（Trash 2 Treasure）という充実のプログラムです。八重山の美しい恵まれた自然を体感しながら、その自然が置かれている状況を見て、感じて、考えるイベントです。 島はうりずんの季節。心地よい風に吹かれながら、お子様とご一緒にぜひご参加ください。大人も子供も一緒になって楽しめるイベントです！ 第1回目の様子はこちら 準備の都合上、事前のご予約をお願いしております。

帆掛けサバニ体験と海洋ゴミを考えるイベント「黒潮のふぁーなー」の運営サポートをさせて頂きました。

サバニに乗り沖合から島を眺めると、改めてその恵まれた自然の豊かさに気づき、その自然が直面する海洋・漂着ゴミの問題を考えると、子供も大人も純粋に、そして一生懸命に学び、皆さんそれぞれの視点で新たな気づきがあったようで、意味深く笑顔に溢れた2日間でした。

漂着ゴミに新たな価値を見出して宝物に変えようというプロジェクト「トラッシュ 2 トレジャー」（ Trash2Treasure トラッシュ２トレジャー ）こちらのワークショップも大盛況でした。子供は自由な発想で、あッ！と驚かせる個性的な作品を製作、そして大人も時間を忘れて夢中になって黙々と製作。 漂着ゴミもちょっと見方を変えるだけで、日常の楽しみに変わります。

コーヒー事業も手掛けるマヒナメレ。 このような活動をきっかけとして、プラスチック問題にも積極的に意識を向けて、できることから始めていこうと思います。

Join us on January 6th in the Curry Student Center Ballroom for our 2019 Winter Sale! Come get all of your dorm and apartment essentials, including everything from lamps and rugs to fridges and microwaves. For the most competitive prices around, you don't want to miss out! We accept Husky Card AND Cash. For any questions, send us a message or email at [email protected].