Whether you live on or off campus, here’s a checklist to help you wrap up the end of the year with resources to manage your move.
Donate items you no longer need
You may have items you no longer need or want as you prepare for move-out. Donating these things means you have less to move and can give your items a second life. Starting April 26, donation locations will be available in residence halls.
Students can donate the following items at these locations:
- Shoes
- Clothing
- Unopened non-perishable foods
- Books
- School supplies
- Toiletries, hygiene products and cleaning supplies
Currently, we cannot collect soft goods such as bedding, pillows, towels, etc. Please donate items that are usable and in good working condition. You can also donate things to an off-campus vendor or consider taking unwanted items home if you visit family before move-out.
The Give and Go Donation Drive at CU Boulder assists over 7,000 students in 26 halls during their on-campus residence departure. Move-out produces a significantly large amount of waste, which can end up in a landfill. The goal is instead to capture items in good and working condition for reuse. Last year, students donated 16 tons of reusable items, like clothing and home goods and one ton of food and personal care items. This program increases awareness and provides the opportunity to participate in local charity, contemplate responsible purchasing in the future and decrease disposal of usable items.
In 2022, E-Center staff and volunteers spent 500 hours organizing and bagging donations. This year, the E-Center needs volunteers to support donation efforts. Volunteers can help increase donations and reduce the number of donatable items in landfills. Sign up to volunteer!
Resource Central will host a CU yard sale after move-out. At this sale, you can shop for items like lamps, decorations, storage bins and fans.
Store items to use next year
Moving your items home for the summer can feel like a hassle. Often it can feel easier just to throw things out or donate them. But you do have another option. The UPS Store at CU Boulder offers summer storage for students living on and off campus.
The service is simple and affordable, and students can choose customized storage solutions. For the basic storage program, you can pick up a box at the on-campus UPS Store and return it with the items inside. You can also store larger and specialty items through this program.
Donate or store your bike
You can donate unwanted bikes at the Folsom and UMC bike stations, where they will be refurbished and sold at the annual Bike Sale. The CU Bike Program can store your bike for $20 over the summer. Storage is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more about summer bike storage.
The Bike Program will accept bikes for donation or storage from Tuesday, May 2, to Friday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the UMC bike station and Williams Village bus stop. Bikes left on campus that appear to be abandoned will be flagged and removed starting in May.
Properly dispose of hard-to-recycle and hazardous materials
Sometimes you may have items you can’t throw away or donate, including electronics, cleaning products or fluorescent bulbs. Here are some tips for taking care of hard-to-recycle and hazardous items:
- If students need to dispose of vape or other hazardous tobacco products, designated vape disposal locations are available in the UMC and the Village Center.
- It is illegal in Colorado to throw away electronics in a dumpster. You can donate electronics in usable condition at a thrift store. Electronics not in usable condition can be recycled at Eco-Cycle’s Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials, Staples or Best Buy.
- Visit the Environmental Center website for more options on disposing of hard-to-recycle items, including cell phones, batteries, toner cartridges and more.
- Common household hazardous waste products include fluorescent bulbs, home cleaning products, home maintenance products, motor oil, antifreeze, paint and yard and garden care products. Learn more about how to dispose of hazardous waste products.
- Dispose of your expired and unwanted medications at the take-back dropbox on the main floor lobby of the Parking Services and Police Department building.
Pick up your Green Cord
Are you graduating in May? Take the Graduation Pledge of Social & Environmental Responsibility and pick up an optional green cord to wear at graduation! The Graduation Pledge Alliance states:
“I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and to try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work.”
The green cord symbolizes your commitment to environmental and social responsibility. Those graduating in May or summer 2023 who take the pledge will be contacted with more information in April 2023 about a green cord for commencement.
Drop ‘N’ Swap
Join the E-Center Tuesday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Glenn Miller Ballroom for a campus-wide clothing swap! Students can “shop” donated items for free with no donation required. The event will also include educational opportunities on upcycling, mending clothes, thrifting in Boulder and campus resources.
Drop off clothing donations at the Environmental Center in UMC room 355 from Monday, April 17 to Friday, April 21 or at the UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom during the event.