Are you preparing to move back to Ann Arbor and you want to do your part to keep items out of the landfill? The more you reuse now, the less waste there is at the end of the school year. Before returning to Ann Arbor, check with your roommates to make sure you are not bringing duplicate items such as small kitchen appliances, coffee tables, vacuums, rugs, etc.
For items that you do have to buy, consider purchasing them from one of the many places that sell gently used, good condition items:
- Scrap Creative Reuse offers things like notebooks, pencils, markers, and crafts
- Kiwanis has a wide selection of furniture, organizers, lamps, appliances, bikes, and even mattresses
- Ann Arbor Thrift Shop has clothes, housewares, and linens. By visiting one of these local organizations, you will be saving money and supporting the local community and boosting sustainability by reducing waste!
Once you are unpacked and settling in, help us manage the boxes and foam that you used to move your stuff. Cardboard can go in any blue City of Ann Arbor recycle cart or dumpster. Be sure to flatten the box so that there is room for everyone’s boxes. Also, be sure to remove any plastic or foam packing materials before recycling boxes. Foam can be placed in special drop-box locations around campus August 19-25.
- West Quad (along E Madison St.)
- East Quad (along Church St.)
- North Quad (along N Thayer St.)
- Oxford Houses (along Oxford Rd.)
These drop locations can only accept block foam and peanuts; bagged separately. Any flexible film foam, bubble wrap, or plastic wrap should be placed in the garbage.
Are you moving out?
You’ve realized you don’t need the mini fridge you kept over the summer? Your bed size has changed and now you don’t need what you used last year? You have too many plastic drawers from the residence halls that you no longer need? Consider selling items you no longer need, or giving them to fellow students. Many students are on a budget or care about the environment. The more you give away, the fewer items that need to be repurchased! Items can be sold on places like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Mercari.
If you still have leftover items that you can‘t sell, consider making a plan to donate your household items, décor, clothing, and nonperishable food. By donating your stuff, you can help families that were previously unhoused, provide food for fellow students, and reduce the waste that goes to landfill. For details of off-campus collections, visit: House N2 Home, Jewish Family Services, and the City’s reuse page, for a donation directory.
For a one stop shop, Ann Arbor hosts a drop-off site south of campus on 2000 S. Industrial Highway, August 9-27. Kiwanis will take your good, usable items for resale. You can also recycle foam, scrap metal, and cardboard as well as throw away bagged household trash and bulky items. For more details on the drop-off site, please click here.