As an electrician for trade shows in Monterey County, Robert Morris sees what's left behind — "pallets and pallets" of T-shirts, pens, note pads and toys with corporate logos.

Rather than let everything go to the landfill, Morris started Pass It On Please, a program to redistribute the surplus to people in need. "It's in my genetics. I just can't see waste going in the garbage.

"It's kind of like a food bank," he said.

Morris works Tricord Tradeshow Services in Marina, which sets up events at the Monterey Conference Center, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and major hotels on the Peninsula. He's got the support of Tricord, which also does trade shows around the country.

He began redistributing left-behind items on a small scale when he began working for Tricord 15 years ago. It has grown over the years, and "in the last year and a half, it has really taken off," said Morris, 59, who comes across more leftover goodies at trade shows than he can handle.

Some shows leave behind large quantities of giveaways, others just a few.

"When it is 10 o'clock on a Saturday night, they want to get out of there," Morris said. And when the sponsors of a show have flown to Monterey, he said, they don't want to pay to have their pens and T-shirts shipped home.

At first, Morris handed out the left-behind items to Soquel Elementary School, where his stepchildren attend, and to a friend who teaches high school in San Jose.

He sent computer bags stuffed with note pads and other products to children in Jalisco, Mexico, and gave more supplies to a middle school teacher in Watsonville. Other items have gone to the Grey Bears, which serves seniors in Santa Cruz County.

He has also sent items to the Persian Gulf and Bolivia, but his focus on on the Central Coast.

He rented a 10-by-20-foot storage unit in Santa Cruz, and has it packed to the ceiling. He wants to expand the program, but it is getting to the point where he can't afford to do it for free.

"I've got a full-time job," Morris said.

He wants to get nonprofit status for the venture, a little money for his efforts, and a bigger storage space. He intends to work with the Monterey County Business Council to help spread the word.

Among the items in his storage unit are ends of paper rolls, which Morris has found are perfect for children's art projects.

While the shirts and office supplies have a use, Morris said, "Some of the stuff, I don't know what you'd do with it." Some low-cost items were made in China, "and it didn't improve coming across the Pacific."

Morris has been impressed with some green events that have emphasized zero waste, but it's not always the case. He recovered a foam board that was on display for three hours.

"It said 'sustainability,'" he said.

Lane Wallace can be reached at 646-4478 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .