Dealing with cardboard and foam
Moving Out
City drop off site
Moving to or in Ann Arbor for school?
Want to do your part at keeping items out of the landfill? The more you “reuse" now, the less waste there is at the end of the school year.
Before coming, check with your roommates to make sure you are not bringing duplicate items, like small kitchen appliances, coffee tables, vacuums, rugs, etc.
For stuff you do have to buy, get them from one of the
many places that sell gently used, good condition items, like:
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Scrap Creative Reuse for things like notebooks, pencils, markers, and crafts
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Kiwanis for furniture, organizers, lamps, appliances, bikes, and even mattresses
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Ann Arbor Thrift Shop for clothes, housewares, and linens
There are many organizations that can help you get settled, save some money and support the local economy!
Dealing with cardboard and foam
Once you're unpacked and settled in, help manage the boxes and foam that you used to move your stuff.
- Cardboard can go in any blue City of Ann Arbor recycle cart or dumpster. Flatten the box so that there's room for everyone's. Also, be sure to remove any plastic or foam packing before recycling.
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Foam can be placed in special drop-box locations around campus from Aug. 19-25. These drop locations can only accept block foam and peanuts; bagged separately. Outside of this, foam can be taken to
Recycle Ann Arbor's drop off station (check the website for details). If this does not work, then foam should go in the trash.
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Any flexible film foam, bubble wrap, or plastic wrap should go in the trash.
Moving out?
- Don't need the mini fridge you kept over the summer?
- Did your bed size change and now you don't need what you used last year?
- Too many plastic drawers from the dorms you no longer need?
Consider selling items you no longer need, or giving them to fellow students. So many of your fellow students are on a budget or care about the environment. The more you give away, the less the same items need to be repurchased! Items can be sold on places like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Mercari.
Left over stuff you can't sell? Make a plan now to donate your household items, décor, clothing, nonperishable food and more! By donating your stuff, you can help families that were previously unhoused, provide food for fellow students, and reduce your waste to the landfill. For details of off-campus collections visit
House N2 Home,
Jewish Family Services, and the City's
reuse page, for a donation directory.
City drop off site
