New2U Sustainable Move-Out Collection and Move-In Tag Sale

New2U student volunteers jumping in unison

Collection | Tag Sale | Volunteer | History

The New2U Sutainable Move-Out Collection and Move-In Tag Sale is a waste reduction program run by students and staff and supported by Facilities & Campus Services and many other partners across the campus. Volunteers and campus staff collect unwanted items like clothing, futons, lamps, and TVs  during Move-Out, and resell these items during a Move-In tag sale. Now in it's seventh year, New2U is able to sell thousands of new or gently used items back to students, faculty, and staff at affordable prices! Since the program's inception, New2U has been able to divert over 80,000 pounds of items from being sent to a landfill. 

Move-Out Collection - Spring 2023

Sam the MinuteMan gives a thumbs up and a smile, he is posing with one of the microwaves for sale at the New2U Tag Sale.

Collection tents will be set up in Southwest, CHC, Central, Northeast, North Apts. and Orchard Hill residential areas from May 22 - May 28. Bring your unwanted items to any tent and place them in the appropriate bin/location in the tent. 

New2U collects:

  • Furniture
  • Room décor (including decorative pillows)
  • Storage (bins/drawers/shelves)
  • Electronics
  • Small appliances
  • Clothing, linens, and shoes (in any condition)
  • Accessories
  • Area rugs
  • Books
  • School/Office supplies
  • Kitchenware/dishes
  • Cleaning supplies (brooms/dustpans, etc.)
  • Cleaning products (unopened)
  • Non-perishable food (unopened)
  • Bath & toiletry items (unopened)

We DO NOT collect the following items:

  • Foam Mattress covers
  • Opened food or drink containers
  • Opened/used toiletries

What happens to the donations and when is the Tag-Sale?

Donations are collected, stored, sorted, cleaned, tested throughout the summer months by paid student workers and then sold at the New2U Move-In Tag Sale. Items that cannot be resold are donated to local community survival centers, thrift-stores or trashed (last resort).

Donations Outside of New2U

You can donate your clothing, linens, and shoes on campus to the Baystate Textile Boxes located in by Brooks Hall in Central and Hampden in Southwest.

A student buying a minifridge and one of our New2U student volunteers smile at the camera

Move-In Tag Sale - Fall 2023

The New2U Move-In Tag Sale is on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 from 8 AM - 5 PM at Newman's Center Cafe (472 North Pleasant Street).
Early Bird 8-9 AM ($5, FREE for international students)
Large item deliver available next day (Sunday, September 3)

VOLUNTEER AT THE TAG SALE AND RECEIVE FREE EARLY BIRD ACCESS AND FREE DELIVERY
Sign up now to volunteer at the September 3 Tag Sale!

Check out this video of the tag sale from 2019, students were super excited when the doors finally opened! 

Become a Move-Out Volunteer

Amazing students and staff like you are essential to make this program a success every year. Volunteers staff our collection tents, help load items onto trucks, organize donations, and help guide the campus community at the point of donation.

Move-Out Volunteers receive:

  • Volunteers who sign up and show up for their shifts will receive a $20 voucher for the fall sale via email.  Vouchers are non-transferrable, maximum one voucher per student.
  • Community service hours 
  • Late move-out approval (must sign up by Date TBD and volunteer for a Fri, Sat, or Sun. slot) 
  • Free t-shirt/swag 

Volunteer shifts are two hour time slots Tuesday, May 23 - Sunday May 28.

Want to get more involved? Apply for one of our paid summer student positions on UMass Handshake. Search "New2U" on UMass Handshake or type in Job Posting #3497207.  Accepting applications until 4/13/22.

A History of New2U

In 2013, Campus Sustainability Fellows saw just how much waste can be generated when over 13,000 students move out at the end of each year. At the time, most of the items that were being thrown in a dumpster were only lightly used, or even new! A dedicated group of student sustainability leaders decided they must create an innovative solution to this problem, and so the idea of New2U was born.

The program is organized by students and sustainability staff and is a collaboration between student leadership, Sustainability, the Office of Waste Management, Moving Services, and New Student Orientation. The program initially received planning assistance from the Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN), a non-profit that helps students create zero waste solutions on college campuses. Proceeds from the sale are used to fund future New2U events and other projects that are funded by the Sustainability Innovation and Engagement Fund.