Waste Not!

Waste Not! is Wesleyan's student-organized answer to the Spring semester student evacuation.  It is run and maintained entirely through the commitment of the Wesleyan community, and truly exemplifies the incredible power in reusing.  Don't throw away your stuff at the end of the semester, give and go!  

In May, Sustainability Interns place donation bins in centralized locations for you to get rid of your reusable stuff. At the beginning of the fall semester, there is a huge tag sale in an effort to keep stuff in circulation and out of the dumpster. 

Donation Locations

Collection stations will be located around campus on move-out days (underclass students: Saturday, May 18th; seniors: Monday, May 27th). See the campus map and the list of donation locations below. Please check the Google Doc to find which station you have been assigned to and check where that station is located on campus. Dumpsters and Goodwill bins, as well as Waste Not Volunteers, will be present at these locations. Place unwanted small items in the Goodwill bins and larger items next to the bins to be collected by Waste Not volunteers.

Waste Not Donation Locations Map

Open on Saturday, 5/18 (all residents move out)

  • Station 1: the circle behind Hewitt 8 & 9
  • Station 2: in front of Nics 5 & 5.5, next to the Nics lounge
  • Station 3: the driveway between Bennett and Senior Fauver
  • Station 4: the Clark driveway
  • Station 5: behind Butterfield A in the faculty parking lot
  • Station 6:  behind Butterfield B along Huber Ave.
  • Station 7: behind LoRise C in the parking lot
  • Station 8: the HiRise parking lot

Open on Monday, 5/27 (seniors and other approved students move out)

  • Station 3: the driveway between Bennett and Senior Fauver
  • Station 9: by the garage in the Fountain/Pine backyard
  • Station 10: by the garage behind 44 and 46 Brainerd Ave
  • Station 11: the lot behind 48 Home Ave.

You can donate:

  • Clothing, shoes, and hangers
  • Bedding (sheets, towels, pillowcases, egg crates)
  • Furniture (couches, loveseats, futons, dressers, desks, chairs, bookshelves)
  • Refrigerators
  • Microwaves
  • Lamps (desk and table)
  • Electronics (TVs, speakers, printers, computers, phones, etc.)
  • Appliances (coffee pots, fans, electric kettles, etc.)
  • Bathroom items (shower caddies, hand towels,  
  • Kitchen items (dishes, cutlery, pots and pans, baking sheets, cups and mugs, water bottles)
  •  Alarm clocks
  • Books (including textbooks and course packs)
  • School supplies (notebooks, binders, pens, rulers, art supplies, paper) 
  • Decorations (mirrors, rugs, posters, wall hangings, knick knacks)
  • Food
  • Cleaning supplies (laundry detergent, Swiffers, brooms, vacuums, etc.)

In 2012, donations and proceeds from the tag sale supported Big Brothers Big Sisters, City Harvest, and Macdonough Family Resource Center. In past years, Waste Not has raised over $15,000 for local charities and environmentally-based projects.  This year, Wesleyan is partnering with Easter Seals Goodwill Industries of North Haven, CT to coordinate Waste Not collection and donate as much as possible to the community.