University of Alabama at Birmingham
IN-27: Innovation D

Move Out, Don't Throw Out is an innovative campaign to divert the maximum amount of discarded items from dorm moveout to good uses. We had not previously had a formal partnership with a non-profit along with a communication campaign, and students were on their own to send items to better use. A student submitted an idea to our 2015 Sustainability Investment Fund for money to buy signs and banners to promote student-based donation. That student's application started a larger conversation wherein we (UAB Sustainability and UAB Housing and Residence Life) cultivated a partnership with Salvation Army (2 years running now) for daily pickups from each of our residence halls during the 10 days of moveout/finals. The unified collection includes cardboard dumpsters, cleaning supplibraries (for swapping while cleaning rooms out and then excess goes to Salvation Army), furniture and other small household goods, non-perishable food, personal care items, etc. We blitz the students through social media, RA’s, and the university email newsletters, and also put banners in the lobbies of res halls and yard signs along the path to the dumpster. See attached for rendering of signage. Last year we collected enough to furnish 25 of their transitional housing units.