If you are leaving Halifax for good in the coming weeks, or just have some extra stuff lying around you no longer need, don't throw it away! Reusable items, such as clothes, books, furniture and dishes are just some of the items students toss in the trash every year. Rather than throw away perfectly good items, donate them to the SMUES/Net Impact Dump & Run Sale. The annual event aims to divert reusable goods from landfills.

The Saint Mary's University Environmental Society (SMUES) will have drop-off locations on campus during the month of April for students to bring in gently used donations. The sale will be held in the Studley Gym at Dalhousie University on May 2nd 8:00am to 4:00pm. The 2009 Dump & Run sale diverted nearly eight metric tons of goods that might have previously been sent to landfills. Proceeds raised from the sale are donated to a Halifax area charity and non-profit groups.

Some of the items that will be accepted are as follows: clothing, furniture, cookware, household items, books, toys and sporting equipment. It is requested that donations be cleaned as best as possible before drop-off, particularly clothing donations.

Certain items may be refused as donations and they include: household appliances (toasters included), safety equipment (including car-seats and helmets), and any items that may be unsanitary in nature.

Not accepted as Dump & Run donations or curb-side with trash are electronics. They must be taken to an ACES (Atlantic Canada Electronic Stewardship) drop off location for recycling. A full list of locations can be found on the ACES website (www.acestewardship.ca).

If you won't be ready to part with your goods by the end of April, the Salvation Army and Value Village are other good ways to recycle reusable goods. Several charitable organizations in the HRM, including Big Brothers & Big Sisters and the Canadian Diabetes Association, also hold regular clothing drives making donating gently used clothing easy for those without access to transportation.

Another alternative to trashing your used goods is attempting to sell or give them away on Kijiji. Posting items on Kijiji offers the chance to maybe make a little extra cash and help keep reusable goods out of city landfills. Donating or selling your reusable items is a great alternative to throwing them out.