Take Action: Move in, Move out

Your challenge: If you can’t take it with you, try donating, swapping or recycling instead of dumping. 

• Cleaning out an office? Work with campus recycling and Bargain Barn. 
• Moving to campus? Recycle your boxes and packing materials. 
• Moving out of an apartment or residence hall? Donate what you don’t pack.

Cleaning out an office?

Cleaning out an office almost always means deciding what stays and what goes, from papers and files, to office supplies and equipment. If you are moving to a new office, resist the urge to shorten time spent packing by just buying new things. Instead, reusing your office supplies will save money and resources. 

For supplies you can no longer use, try offering them to neighboring offices or other campus units. If all attempts to reuse an item fall short, find out how to recycle it — instead of sending it to the landfill. Here are some more specific tips:

• Papers, files and books: Request an extra, oversized recycling cart for mixed paper (including softbound books), and a separate cart for hardbound books. The paper from an office clean-out will not fit in your usual paper recycling bins. To request the extra carts, contact Facilities Management. The carts will be delivered to your office according to the usual pick-up schedule and will be yours to use for two weeks, though you can request an additional bin or an earlier pick-up.
• Confidential documents: Confidential document shredding is provided by the Materiel Management Department. More information can be found at: http://documentstorage.ucdavis.edu/howto/shred.cfm.
• Office supplies: Take your office supplies with you, instead of buying new. If you have extra office supplies, offer them to neighboring offices. Otherwise, contact Bargain Barn to donate and possibly re-sell surplus supplies.
• CDs, batteries, printer cartridges, cardboard, transparencies, light bulbs and other disposables: These and many other items can be recycled on campus; find out what you can recycle and where. Sort these items while you clean to help make sending them to recycling efficient. Because these disposables can build up over time, office clean-outs are one of the most important times to remember to recycle these items. Don’t let them pile up at the landfill! 
• Electronics: It is illegal in California to dispose of electronic waste in the trash. Electronic waste includes cell phones, computers, monitors, televisions, microwaves and appliances. Batteries, cell phones, calculators, flash drives and other small electronics can be recycled on campus in blue multi-bins; find out what you can recycle and where. For larger electronics, contact Bargain Barn for assistance in reselling or disposing of the items.
• Office equipment and furniture: Follow Bargain Barn’s directions to dispose of your items. If it can be resold on campus, your department can receive some of the profit from the sale. If it cannot be resold on campus, then Bargain Barn can help with possible trade-in options, recycling or disposal.

If you are cleaning out a storage shed or otherwise have a large volume of things to dispose of, contact Special Services for assistance.

Moving to campus?

Storage bins can be used for moving and then reused throughout the year.

Many students purchase new school supplies, electronics, clothes and décor before moving to campus, but try buying used goods instead. New-to-you (but gently used) goods are not only thrifty, but can mean sending fewer items to the landfill. One option on campus is the Bargain Barn, where you can find used electronics and surplus office supplies. Check out the sustainable shopping list for other tips to reduce waste and be eco-conscious during back-to-school sprees.

When it comes to packing, think reusable. A storage bin can double as a trunk throughout the year and come in handy again when it is time to move out, instead of a cardboard box that only gets used once.

Once you have unpacked your belongings, make sure to recycle all of your packing materials — including cardboard, plastics and polystyrene foam. Find the nearest recycling bin to your residence hall.

Extra bins are set up each fall during move-in periods to prevent filling trash bins with recyclables. During the move-in period of fall 2009, students recycled 58 percent of their unwanted household goods and approximately 10,000 pounds of cardboard.

Moving out?

Whether you live on campus or elsewhere in Davis, moving out does not need to mean filling your trash cans. 

When it’s time to move out of residence halls, Spring Cleaning is a chance to donate food, appliances, clothing and other used goods that you might otherwise throw away. Extra recycling bins are also available to recycle paper, cardboard, plastics, glass and cans. In 2010, Spring Cleaning yielded 10,100 pounds of materials donated by students, including 2,124 pounds of non-perishable food to Food Bank of Yolo County and 7,976 pounds of clothing, linens, appliances and other items to Goodwill.

If you’re moving out of an off-campus apartment when leases end around August 31 of each year, the city of Davis works with many apartment complexes to manage “donation stations” where residents can drop off unwanted furniture and other household goods. Other apartment residents are encouraged to pick up what they can re-use from the donation stations, and local nonprofit organizations also collect what they can use.

If you don't live in an apartment complex that has a donation station, contact local thrift stores to find out how to make donations instead of sending reusable items to the landfill.