Move UP, a sustainability initiative that aims to reduce waste produced by student move-in and move-out, is taking on its fall semester venture: delivering discounted used fridge and microwave rentals to students.
The program is currently renting these appliances on its online marketplace and will run a pop-up store from Aug. 21 - 22 for the remainder of their inventory, according to Cherisse Wong, Move UP’s co-lead student and director of marketing.
The program’s fridges for rent range from $40 - 60 while microwaves run for $25 for the academic year. Delivery to residence halls can also be added on. Microwaves will be delivered for $10, fridges for $15 and $20 for a combined fridge and microwave delivery, according to Wong.
A majority of the appliances for rent were collected by the initiative last spring during student move-out, though some were donated by the University and non-profit Do Good Multnomah, Wong says.
All other items collected during move-out were donated to charitable organizations. Among these, Sunstone Way, an organization providing low-barrier shelter, received eight bags of linens, towels and blankets totalling 160 pounds. The Immigrant Refugee and Community Organization received 70 mattress toppers, according to Wong.
Wong, a senior marketing major who’s had an eye on working in sustainability since she came to UP, says it's been great to see the program create positive change, both at UP and in Portland.
“It was amazing to see how many donations [we received], and hearing from the nonprofits and staff,” Wong said. “They were impressed with much [of the] stuff we were able to give to them, and it was nice to see all the things that weren’t wasted.”
All funds collected from appliance rentals will be put back into Move UP to fund its future, according to Wong.
The initiative is currently funded through a $98,000 grant from Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality; but eventually, that money will run out, making fund-raising opportunities essential to the program's longevity.
More information on Move UP can be found here.
Maggie Dapp is the News and Managing Editor at The Beacon. She can be reached at dapp26@up.edu.
