Move-Out Donations & Waste Reduction

Donating items for reuse and diverting waste from landfills helps reduce pollution and improve community access & equity.

Between finals, saying goodbye to friends, and figuring out summer plans, packing might not be the first thing on your priority list. At Tufts, move out is designed to make it easy and simple for you to reduce the amount of items you throw away. In addition to the many recycling and landfill dumpsters around campus, Donation & Recycling Stations are available across campus during move-out to donate and recycle unwanted items instead of sending them to the landfill. All usable goods are provided to future students and community members who need them.

2025 Donation & Recycling Stations: 

Donation & Recycling Stations for 2025 move-out will open starting Thursday, May 1st and are accessible 24/7 (staffed 11 am - 3 pm) for drop off of the items listed below. Please check back to this page throughout move-out for the most up-to-date info! 

Stations that open on May 1st:

• Houston Hall 

• Hill Hall 

• Lewis Hall 

• Harleston Hall  

Senior Move-Out: An additional donation station will be placed outside of Sophia Gordon Hall starting on May 13th to accommodate seniors. 

Accepted Donation Items 

• Mattress toppers 

• Clothing, sheets, shoes, & pillows (must be bagged in plastic bags!) 

• Household items: storage containers, dorm decor, fans, vacuums, large and small lamps, mirrors, waste bins, laundry baskets 

• Dining hall dishes  

• Books and school supplies  

• Crutches and exercise/sports equipment 

• Unopened, non-perishable food 

• Cleaning supplies: laundry detergent, brooms and sweepers 

• Toiletries: Unopened bottles, feminine hygiene products 

• Kitchen cookware, working kitchen appliances 

• Working electronics 

• Furniture 

• Rugs 

• Media items (DVDs, VHS, CDs, vinyl records, Blu-Ray, etc.) 

Accepted recycling streams:

• Plastic film, including grocery bags, air pillows, bubble wrap, and produce bags  

• Broken small electronics  

• Compost    

We DO NOT accept: 

• Hazardous items (for more information about battery and lightbulb recycling at Tufts, visit our specialty recycling webpage) 

• Mattresses

All other recycling and waste can be brought to outside recycling (blue lid) and trash (black lid) dumpsters.  

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Off-Campus Students: Bring your items to any of the above stations! The Hill Hall & Sophia Gordon stations are next to parking areas. If you can’t bring your items to one of our stations, check out your municipality's website for information on how to donate clothes and other items!

Medford Recycling | Medford Textiles Vendor - Helpsy | For any bulk item collection, please contact Waste Management at 800-972-4545 to schedule your pick-up. Please then follow their instructions.

Somerville Recycling | Somerville Textiles Vendor – Simple Recycling | Limited to two items per week curbside with the regular trash. Place your bulk waste out by 7 a.m. on your scheduled collection day.

Remember, textiles and mattresses are banned from the landfill, so it is illegal to put them in your trash bin! If you have any questions about how to properly donate items, please reach out via recycle@tufts.edu