As you prepare to move out of your on-campus residence, you may decide to not keep some items, but remember that your “trash” may be a nonprofit’s treasure! By making a conscious choice to donate your unwanted items during move-out, you become part of a campus and community collaboration to support local nonprofits, reduce your carbon footprint, strengthen the reuse economy and preserve resources. Read the donation guide below for more information about donation options.
Donations
You may donate any of the following by placing them inside the large bins at your residence hall’s donation station:
- Appliances
- Athletic equipment
- Bedding
- Carpet (both clean and dirty)
- Cleaning supplies
- Clothing
- Electronics (broken electronics are accepted and will be recycled)
- Food (unopened, nonperishable)
- Futon frames (intact)
- Furniture
- School and office supplies
- Shoes
- Toiletries and personal items (unopened)
Items that cannot be donated should be placed in trash dumpsters.
Trash
Place all trash into residence hall trash dumpsters.
Please place broken furniture, including broken futon frames, next to dumpsters so that these can be collected for metal recycling.
Recycling
Place all bottles, cans, paper and other recyclables in the blue recycling carts. Flatten cardboard and place in blue cardboard dumpsters.
Plastic bags should NOT be placed in campus recycling receptacles. Plastic bags can be recycled at the Student Union recycling station or your local grocery store.
Food
Unpackaged perishable food items can be composted in residence hall compost carts or at the Carolina Community Garden. Food waste and certified compostable food-related paper waste drop-off is available at the Eubanks Road Waste and Recycling Center.
Unopened cans and boxes of nonperishable food items can be placed in residence hall donation station bins or donated to local food pantries and charities.
Visit the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling’s Student Move-Out Guide to find out where your residence hall donation station is located and to learn more about how donations are used.
For more information about vacating your residence hall, visit the Carolina Housing Move-Out Process website.
For questions about campus recycling programs, contact the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling at 919-962-1442 or recycling@facilities.unc.edu. Visit go.unc.edu/recycling for more information about campus recycling and waste reduction.