Dump & Run®

Dump & Run® prevents used, quality goods from going to dumpsters and landfills each year. This project, coordinated by F&S and the YMCA, reduces litter and consumer waste, saves space in landfills, lowers dumping costs for certified housing and apartments and provides inexpensive items for folks to purchase in the fall during “The Big Sale.”

The end of the spring semester sees thousands of students moving out of on-campus residence halls. Since 2001, Dump & Run® has been implemented to collect good materials and divert them away from otherwise being discarded in the trash. Materials collected in pods near student housing during undergraduate moveout days in May and graduate moveout days in July are donated to local non-profits in Champaign-Urbana to promote the reuse and repurpose of these items.

“F&S coordinates two separate Dump & Run® events, one focused on undergraduate students moving away in May, and another for graduate students who move out of apartments later in the summer. Every May and July, volunteers watch the donation pods and encourage departing students to donate, not trash, their stuff.

In August, the University YMCA opens up the Stock Pavilion for community donations, also known as Dump & Run®. Faculty, staff, students, and community members donate carloads of furniture, decorations, home goods, clothing over three weeks of collection hours. Hundreds of volunteers contribute more than 1,000 hours to sort and sell those items at student-friendly prices during the Big Sale, usually held the first weekend of classes. 

For information on drop-off dates, furniture pickups, and volunteer opportunities, visit the University YMCA Dump & Run® webpage.

Undergrad – May 2026

The total count for 2026 was 68 gaylord boxes and 97 loose pieces (furniture, etc.) collected from 8 pods across campus during the week of May 11-16, 2026. Based on average pallet weights from previous years (150-250 pounds), we estimate that 15,000 pounds of donations were diverted.

Donations were all picked up by Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries and taken to the Champaign store for redistribution.

The highest-generation pods this year were ISR, Sherman, Hopkins, and Barton. Allen Hall, PAR, and FAR also did well.

Graduate – July 2026

The total count for graduate donations in July 2026 was 39 gaylord boxes and 44 loose pieces (furniture, etc.) collected from 4 pods in Orchard Downs and 1 pod in Ashton Woods during the month of July. Based on average pallet weights from previous years (150-250 pounds) and reporting from Goodwill, we estimate that 10,000 pounds of donations were diverted.

Donations were picked up by the F&S Moving Crew and taken to the Champaign Goodwill store for redistribution. Neighborhood Assistants (NAs) were responsible for unlocking and locking pods.

The graduate Dump & Run® program started in 2025.