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Sustainability
'Pass it On' drop off bin.

Pass It On

Donate the things you no longer need after Move Out to incoming students. Redbirds Reuse!

How it Works

Look for the Pass It On bins in the lobby of your residence hall and the large moving trucks outside your hall during move out. Place gently-used items you no longer need in the bins inside or the trucks outside and they'll go right back to ISU students at both the Share Shop and our Front Yard Free Cycle during Welcome Week.

Learn more about the Front Yard Free Cycle

Accepted Items

  • Furniture

  • Books and school supplies

  • Cleaning products

  • Clothing and hangers (nothing ripped or stained)

  • Non-perishable food

  • Appliances and electronics in working condition

  • Toiletries

  • Clean bedding

Off Campus Donations

Organizations around Bloomington Normal accept donations from students living off campus.

Reggie donating items to the Pass It On donation truck

Pass It On

Pass It On started at ISU almost 30 years ago. Frustrated by the amount of useful items going to landfill during Move-Out, social work students partnered with University Housing and ROTC to collect the donations and give to various community organizations throughout Bloomington-Normal. Today, the Office of Sustainability continues to partner with University Housing collecting the donations throughout Move Out. Items are sorted and cleaned over the summer, then distributed to incoming students throughout Summer Preview at the Share Shop and at the annual Front Yard Free Cycle during Welcome Week. Items left at the Free Cycle are donated to local community organizations.

Reggie donating items to the Pass It On donation truck

2024 Pass It On stats:

  • 17 box trucks of items collected
  • 600+ Mattress toppers delivered to Kern Mattress Recycling, where they are recycled into furniture insulation
  • 25 sets of crutches donated to LifeCIL
  • Hundreds of pounds of food delivered to the School Street Food Pantry
  • Numerous tarps and sleeping bags delivered to Home Sweet Home Mission

Volunteer

Help us keep Pass It On going.

We need volunteers to collect gently-used items at our Donation Trucks located outside the various residence halls during each Move Out season, saving any items that might otherwise go to landfill. The collected clothing, bedding, and household accessories will be given to our incoming students for free throughout Summer Preview and during Welcome Week in the fall.

Sign up to help during Move Out!

Pass It On Partners

Thanks to these groups and their volunteers for making Pass It On possible.

  • University Housing
  • Facilities Services
  • ISU Share Shop