Move Out at Mac

Recycling unwanted items during move out

In 2008, Sustainability Manager Suzanne Savanick Hansen received a phone call during move out from the custodian supervisor at the time, Karen Porras. “Come over right now.” Karen said. “You need to see this!”. Karen took Suzanne over to the dumpsters in front of Doty and Turck Halls. A working printer was on top of the pile, as were clothes and housewares. Two people were standing in the dumpster pulling out usable material.

Move Out is the largest pulse of waste from college campuses: accumulated dorm room stuff doesn't fit in storage or luggage for a flight home, while students living off-campus have excess furniture and dishes. Time is short, and emotions are running high. Often students have no access to a car to take material to Goodwill.

In 2008-2009, the Macalester Sustainability Office, Facilities Services, and Residential Life students and staff spent a year planning for the next Move Out. Facilities Services student worker Matt Kazinka ‘11 facilitated discussions to come up with a better plan. Prior to this time, Habitat for Humanity students (with the support of staff in the Civic Engagement Center) collected donations in the dorms, stored the material for the summer on campus, and hosted a rummage sale in September. However, the donation boxes overflowed and no students were available during finals and senior week to handle the deluge of cast-offs.

 

Evolution of Fall Rummage Sale Proceeds

In 2009, the donation boxes stayed through senior week and students volunteered hours in exchange for staying in the dorms. Some castoffs were kept for the fall student garage sale, and the rest was donated. With this new system of handling donations, the Move Out recycling rate went from 17% to 46%. By 2017, the diversion rate rose to 70%. 

Increase in Goodwill Donations

In the past 10 years, the system has changed, but the basics are the same. Extra recycling and trash bins are brought to a common location, students collect donations for the rummage sale and the rest of the donations are given to a charity. Habitat for Humanity added another group of students, Bonner Scholars, a civic engagement leadership program, to help with the garage sale and packing up donations. Besides the donations, the Bon Appetit food service has an amnesty box to collect pilfered dishware from the dining hall. Toiletries are donated to a homeless shelter, thanks to the Civic Engagement Center. Hangers are stored to give away in the fall to incoming international students during Move In. The Sustainability Office also hosts a “Mac Free Swap” space for donations year round. In 2017, Facilities students estimated that 290 tons of household goods were diverted from the incinerator and the overall diversion rate was 70%.