August Moving Days: Donations & Resale
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The annual August Moving Days ritual in downtown Madison will begin soon. On top of packing, hauling, and saying goodbyes, movers need to decide just what to do with all their unwanted stuff.
Over the next couple of days, the Streets Division will be sending out reminders so those on the move can be sure they know how to manage all the unwanted stuff they will generate.
Previous Moving Days Information Announcements:
Why Donate & Resell Usable Items
In 2018, over one million pounds of unwanted goods was landfilled just from the August Moving Days. That is a considerable amount of material.
The Streets Division encourages everyone participating in the downtown moving days to seek out donation opportunities for their usable yet unwanted goods.
There are several places to donate useable items, such as couches, desks, clothes, non-perishable food, and many other things. And many of the available donation options offer home pickup services as well.
Usable items could also be resold through the Madison Stuff Exchange or other person-to-person exchanges.
Rather than wasting usable goods in the landfill, it’s much better to give it another life in a new home.
Donation Opportunities
Here is a list of potential places where unwanted yet usable items can be donated. This list is not exhaustive as other options for your items may exist locally through consignment shops or other reputable donation opportunities.
Be sure to contact the donation organization prior to arriving with your items to be sure they will accept what you seek to give.
For example, Habitat for Humanity may take a gently used microwave, but they will not take clothing. And the YWCA may accept cookware and non-perishable food items, but they cannot accept furniture. Many of these organizations also post a list of what they can and cannot accept on their websites.
Agrace Thrift Store
- Madison East: 608-327-7200
- Madison West: 608-833-4556
- 608-268-0793
- 608-246-4730
- 608-827-8997
- Madison East: 608-246-1990
- Madison West: 608-271-0048
- 608-257-1436, option 2
- Madison East: 608-661-2813
- Madison West: 608-442-9919
- 608-836-7338
- 608-257-2534, extension 20
- Schedule a home collection: 1-800-728-7825
- Madison East: 608-257-0673
- Madison West: 608-278-6370
- Schedule a free home collection: 608-278-2920, extension 1
Residents of the large downtown apartment buildings may have access to donation opportunities within their buildings. A list of buildings that have partnered with Goodwill to provide this service for their residents can be found on the Streets Division’s Moving Days website.
The Madison Stuff Exchange & Other Person-to-Person Exchanges
With so many people moving into new apartments, the demand for used furniture and other household items will be very high. Therefore, this a great time to list unwanted yet usable items on the online Madison Stuff Exchange.
Residents of Madison and Dane County can register to use the Madison Stuff Exchange website at no charge. Items can be given away or offered for sale. There is a maximum sale price of $99 for any item. Businesses may not use the site to sell their products or services. Residents looking for items can also register and post their wanted list.
The web address of the Madison Stuff Exchange is www.madisonstuffexchange.com.
And remember that social media networks can be used to facilitate exchanges or sales, as well as other digital and traditional resources for posting and selling usable yet unwanted items.
Additional Information
If there are questions, all residents are encouraged to contact the Streets Division.
Residents who live east of S. Park Street, and that includes the isthmus, should call 608-246-4532.
Residents west of S. Park Street, and that includes the neighborhoods around Camp Randall, should call 608-266-4681.
Additional information can also be found on the Streets Division’s Moving Days website, the Streets Division’s electronics recycling website, and the Recyclopedia.
Don’t forget to watch and share the Streets Division’s YouTube video on how to have a fast and safe move out.
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