Dear Off-Campus Students,
The Move Out Drive is back! “Re-purpose your packing” by donating gently-used household items to local charities such as the Father McKenna Center, Community Forklift and Habitat for Humanity.
How and What to Donate
- Stop by the Office of Neighborhood Life (1300 36th Street NW) to pick up a Move Out Drive packet. The packets will consist of pink donation tags and blue bulk trash tags that are essential to participate in the drive.
- Sign up for a donation and/or bulk trash pick-up here:
- Bulk trash will be picked up throughout the month of May (except for Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-25).
- Donations will only be picked up on the following days: May 6, May 11, May 12, May 14, May 19, May 20, May 22, May 27 and June 1.
- Place donations and bulk trash items in neat, separate piles in front of (curbside) or behind (alley) your property between 8-9 a.m. on the collection day you signed up for. Tape pink donation tags and blue bulk trash tags on various items to differentiate the piles.
- Go through your property for discarding and donating items earlier rather than later, as donation and bulk trash days fill up!
IMPORTANT: Each morning, ONL coordinates with the DC Department of Public Works (DPW) to ensure that your piles of donations and bulk trash with proper pink/blue tags do not get cited by the city. If you do not 1) sign up in advance, 2) mark your donations/bulk trash with Georgetown University Move Out Drive tags, and 3) put your items out between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on the days of your pick up in neat, separate piles, you are at risk of receiving a citation from DPW.
Acceptable items for donation include dry, clean, gently-used:
- Clothing
- Books
- Furniture
- Household goods
- Electronics
- Non-perishable, unopened food
- Unopened cleaning supplies and toiletries items
- Bedding (not pillows or foam mattress toppers)
- Sports equipment
Why Donate?
Each May, over 300,000 pounds of unwanted materials are discarded during move-out, which end up in local landfills, harming the local environment and the communities around them.
Applying the university’s Catholic and Jesuit mission to this challenge, Georgetown partners with local charities to collect and donate these items, providing everyday basic household goods to meet the real needs of people working to make ends meet in the DC region. In 2025, we diverted more than 53,550 pounds of material, valued at over $439,000, from ending up in local landfills by donating these materials to our network of 27 local charitable organizations.
We thank you in advance for your participation in the 2026 Move Out Drive and hope that you encourage your peers to participate in this important community-wide initiative. You can get involved by volunteering or by donating your things on the dates and times above. Any questions about the Move Out Drive for students living off-campus can be directed to neighborhoodlife@georgetown.edu.
Additional Sustainability Reminders
In addition to participating in the Move Out Drive, please take the following steps to ensure you have a more sustainable move-out and reduce your environmental impact:
- Bring your non-perishable food items to either the Annual Move Out Drive or the Hoya Hub Food Pantry for donation, which helps support Georgetown community members who are food-insecure.
- Opt to use reusable storage containers instead of boxes. Utilize backpacks, laundry bins and other bags to pack additional items to maximize space. If you need extra packing materials, consider sustainable options such as boxes made from recycled content and compostable bubble wrap. Make sure to break down any cardboard boxes you may have and place them in their designated place.
- Unplug your electronics, such as chargers, printers and small appliances, when not in use. If unable to power down or unplug, ensure your electronic devices are set to energy-saving or sleep mode. Ensure all lights are turned off before leaving the room.
- Close and secure all windows and lower blinds to reduce heat loss.
- Ensure all faucets are turned off.
Sincerely,
Office of Neighborhood Life
Office of Sustainability