Student Move-Out Guide: Don't Dump It, Donate It!

It’s the end of April and you’ve finished your final exams. It’s time to pack and move out of your 4' x 6' room. Packing your belongings becomes interesting as you come across a mega-pack of ramen noodles you bought at the beginning of the year and shoved in your closet. The pink-flowered, fuchsia wool sweater is crammed in the back of your dresser and the 4 super-sized containers of laundry detergent that you thought you would need are jammed in the corner of your closet. You look at your small compact car noticing one problem: YOU DON’T HAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR THIS STUFF! Does this sound familiar? If so, UM Waste Management Services has an alternative besides throwing this great stuff away - Donate it!

Beginning a week before resident Move Out times, a donation area is set up in the central area or lobby of every Residence Hall. This area is where residents can donate items they don’t want, can’t believe they own, or simply don’t have room for in their car. These materials are picked up by Waste Management Services’ staff, sorted into categories, and then donated to local non-profits in the Ann Arbor area. Last year, almost 12 tons of donations were collected from residents like you and donated to Purple Heart, Food Gatherers, St. Vincent DePaul, and the Salvation Army. Please review the table below to determine in which box your donated items should go.

Help us exceed the donations from last year! And remember, Don't Dump It, Donate It!

Also, look for yellow donation boxes at the following campus locations:
Angell Hall
Chemistry Building
Duderstadt Center
Michigan League
Michigan Union
School of Social Work

Northwood Community Apartments residents can participate in the Move Out donation program. We will be placing blue bins labeled specifically for donations in Northwood III lots 1, 10, 12, 21, 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55. Residents are asked to please bag donations separately according to the type of donation (food, clothing, shoes, etc.).

Help us exceed the donations from last year! If you can't use it, please donate it!

Items to Donate

Clothing	Must be clean and undamaged. Include items like shirts, robes, p.j's, socks, coats, hats, etc.
Shoes	Put all of your unwanted shoes & slippers in the yellow boxes marked "shoes." Tie or bundle pairs of shoes together.
Food and Toiletries	Must be un-opened and un-used packages. Include canned foods, ramen noodles, soap, shampoo, Pop Tarts, tea bags, etc. No perishables please!
Bedding	Must be clean and undamaged. Pillows, blankets, sheets, mattress pads, foam bed rolls, towels and throw rugs.
Household Items	Must be in usable condition. Include items like small appliances, kitchen and cooking utensils, baskets, school supplies, etc. Small electronics like unwanted cell phones, pagers and PDAs are also accepted.

Silverware, plates, glasses and trays should be returned to Dining Services.
Remember to recycle mixed containers and paper in the waste-recycling closet.

"Take It or Leave It!"

Please bring large and bulky items like carpets, furniture and loft wood to the "Take It or Leave It" areas located outside the residence hall loading docks and in Northwood II lot 21 and Northwood V lot 51. And as the sign says, please feel free to "Take" whatever items you find and give them a new home.

Take It or Leave It areas

Carpets and Rugs	Must be rolled up neatly and sealed with cord or tape. Place in designated area outside.
Furniture	Place neatly in designated area outside.
Loft Wood	Remove all nails and pile wood neatly in designated area outside.

Wondering what to do with cardboard and polystyrene (foam) at the beginning of the school year? Be sure to check out the Student Move-In page.

Live off campus and moving out? Find out about the Green Move-Out packet. It's free!

Move-Out History and Statistics