Moving Days 2011: Bringing Order Out of Chaos

The late summer ritual known as Moving Days is upon us. Madison will be swarming with thousands of students moving between apartments downtown and around the campus area. In an effort to reduce waste and increase community benefit, the city of Madison, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the UW-Madison WE CONSERVE Program, Student United Way and the student group Dumpster Diving Revolution are working together during Moving Days. The groups are encouraging student movers to donate usable items to charity and to shed their trash and recyclables properly. Those making a move are asked to focus on following the city's rules for disposal of trash and recyclables. While many items are worthy of donation, many are not. Movers should use their green recycling carts, keep curbside trash and recycling separate, and place all trash in cans or bags. "Downtown residents always have lots of refuse and recycling this week," recycling coordinator George Dreckmann said. "We want to encourage them to put as much material in their refuse and recycling carts in order to make our collection more efficient. Since we have extra crews working in this area, we will be able to empty the carts so the residents can refill them over and over again during the move out week." To collect appropriate donated items from students moving out on and before Aug. 14, volunteers from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Dumpster Diving Revolution and Student United Way will staff three trailer sites in campus-area neighborhoods. Donations of clean clothes, good-quality furniture, unopened nonperishable food, and other household items in decent condition will be accepted and appreciated. All ripped, wet, dirty, rusty, broken, stained or smelly items should be left on the curb for city pickup. Movers with goods to donate are invited to bring their items to one of three St. Vincent de Paul donation trailers sited near the following intersections: • North Mills and Spring streets (north corner of UW-Madison Lot 51) • West Gorham & North Henry streets (parking lot behind Holy Redeemer Church) • Mound & South Charter streets (St. James Church parking lot) Collection times at all three sites will be: • Friday, Aug. 12, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. • Saturday, Aug. 13, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. • Sunday, Aug. 14, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Movers wishing to donate furniture or a large volume of goods may request a free scheduled home pick-up through one of two options: • For a pickup prior to August 12, call (608) 278-2920 for a St. Vincent de Paul truck (one- to two-day notice recommended). • For same-day service or pickups on August 12, 13 or 14 call (608) 692-3911. Donations to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul enable the charity to provide furniture, clothing, food and household items for local people struggling with poverty. Revenues raised from the sale of goods at the Society's six Dane County stores also help fund local prescription-assistance and housing programs. More about Moving Days and information on how best to donate, recycle and dispose of material can be found by visiting this page of the city of Madison website, www.cityofmadison.com/movingdays, or by calling George Dreckmann, city recycling coordinator, at (608) 267-2626.

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