MoveOutATX, an annual event for students to donate unwanted items, is set to take place every day from July 27-31 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in West Campus. Started in 2017, the event aims to help students move out of their residences before the new academic year starts while promoting sustainable practices.
The event is jointly sponsored by the city of Austin, the UT Office of Sustainability and the UT Office of the Dean of Students. Over five days, the organizations will set up seven donation stations around West Campus where students can donate unwanted items, including furniture, small appliances, clothing, unopened food items and other items. Based on category, donations can be new, “gently used” or in any condition.
Paige Muehlenkamp-McHorse, associate director of programming and outreach for the Office of the Dean of Students, said when dumpsters are full in West Campus, trash can spill out into walkways and right of ways. She sad this can create an unsafe situation and is an unsustainable solution.
“West Campus during move-out can get pretty messy, so (MoveOutATX) is a great way to have a great impact in your neighborhood,” Muehlenkamp-McHorse said. “Right around move-out, do your best to take care of your neighborhood and the space you call ‘home’ and that other Longhorns call ‘home.’”
Megan Kaplon, conservation program coordinator for Austin Resource Recovery’s Circular Economy Program, said what makes MoveOutATX stand out is that the event takes in items other organizations don’t accept, such as toiletries, mattresses and opened and unopened food items. She said MoveOutATX reaches not just students but also the wider Austin community.
After donation stations close each day, MoveOutATX takes all donated items and hosts a Free Furniture Market from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the UT Whitaker Courts parking lot. Kaplon said participants must bring their own vehicle to transport any furniture they take from the market. Boxes and trash bags are also recommended to facilitate the donation process, she said.
Jessi Drummond, UT Campus Environmental Center coordinator, encourages students to donate to the stations because it creates a sustainable environment and helps others in need.
“As you’re getting ready to move out and move to a new location, and you’re taking a step back and you’re like, ‘I don’t need all this stuff,’ try to think of the other folks in this city that might be able to benefit from those items,” Drummond said. “Whether they’re building a new family or already have one, a lot of those items can be used with such joy, more than just this one time.”
