Eco Move-Out: Donations
Donate your items any time from April 7 to May 8, 2025
While we would love to take all donations, our Freestore is limited in space and we can’t accept everything. To keep our volunteers safe, please be mindful of what you are donating. Donation is open from April 7 to May 8, 2025. Donate your items in your building from April 7 to April 30. Donations are accepted at the Freestore in Olympus Hall on May 1, 5, 6, 7, and 8 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
How do I prepare items for recycling?
Items should be thoroughly cleaned prior to donating them. Please wash your donations, place them in a bin or bag and drop them off at the designated tables in your buildings. Please keep the donation tables neat and tidy to preserve items.
What can I donate?
The Freestore will accept items such as:
- Dishes
- Pots and pans
- Cutlery (forks, knives, spoons)
- Cups
- Mugs
- Clothing hangers
- Reusable bags
- Unopened cleaning supplies/detergents
We only want the “good stuff”. Items that are gently used and can be used by another student next year.
The Freestore will accept items such as:
- Towels and clothes
- Fitted and flat bed sheets
- Duvet
- Blankets
The Freestore will accept items such as:
- Textbooks
- Binders
- Unused notebooks
- Pens
- Scissors
- Calculators
- Lab coats/goggles
Please wipe your hard drives or perform a reset on your cell phones/tablets before recycling them.
The Freestore will accept items such as:
- Cell phones
- Hard drives
- Laptops
- Tablets
- Batteries
- Cords
- TVs
- Monitors
- Kitchen appliances
The Freestore will only accept unopened, non-perishable food.
Food items that are open, not sealed, or frozen must be thrown away by yourself in the garbage room.
This Freestore will accept items such as:
- Canned fish or meats
- Canned soups, vegetables, fruits
- Sauces or spices
- Spreads like peanut butter, jam, honey
- Baking items - flour, sugar, baking soda, salt
- Rice, pasta, beans, legumes
- Crackers
The Freestore will accept the following items:
- Balls
- Hockey sticks
- Skates
Items the Freestore does NOT accept
The Freestore does not accept clothing/textiles/shoes. However, these items can be donated elsewhere on campus.
Please take CLEAN items to the Textile Donation Bins located at Yamnuska Hall and the Dining Center. Items need to be placed in smaller bags (about the size of a kitchen garbage bag) to fit into the bin.
Items accepted include:
- Clothing (shirts, pants, underwear, sweaters)
- Outerwear (coats, jackets)
- Shoes and footwear (sandals, sneakers, dress shoes)
- Purses, backpacks, wallets, belts
- Household linens (bedding, towels, curtains, pillows, tea towels, duvets and blankets)
- Reusable shopping bags
- Underwear, bras
- Hats, mittens, scarves
- Rags, scrap or ripped fabric
- Suitcases, duffel bags (must fit in donation bin)
The Freestore does not accept any fresh/frozen food items.
Food items that can go bad like meat, cheese, fresh fruit and vegetables need to be thrown away in the garbage by yourself. This includes non-perishable items that are open, not sealed.
The Freestore does not accept:
- Bear spray
- Aerosols
- Cleaners and chemicals
- Paint
- Lava lamps
- Propane, helium, and oxygen tanks
- Fluorescent and ceiling lights
The Freestore does not accept:
- Foam mattress toppers
- Large carpeting
- Cosmetic and personal care items
- Medical supplies (recycle at pharmacy on campus)
Furniture donations are not accepted. Please arrange removal or take to Goodwill.
The Freestore does not accept:
- Equipment pads
- Ski and snow board equipment with bindings
- Helmets
Where can I donate my items?
Look for a table in the following locations with our Eco Move-Out posters and branding.
- Aurora - laundry room on the main floor
- Cascade - main lobby
- Crowsnest - laundry room on the main floor
- International House - main lobby, at the old bistro location (ask CSC staff if unsure)
- Glacier - main lobby, CD/OL entrance
- Olympus - main lobby
- Kananaskis - main floor lounge
- Rundle - main floor lounge
- Yamnuska - main floor lobby, near the elevators
- Varsity Courts - laundry rooms in courts 400, 500, 700, 800, 1000
Where are my items being donated to?
- Household, kitchen, cleaning, and school supplies will be given out to residents at the Fall 2025 Move-In FREE STORE.
- Clothing, towels, textiles, and bed linen are donated to Trans - Continental Textile Recycling Ltd.
- Electronics and e-waste are donated to Electronic Recycling Company | eCycle Solutions Canada.
- Food is donated to Campus Food Hub.
- Textbooks will be donated to Textbooks for Change through the UCalgary Bookstore.
- Sports equipment will be donated to Goodwill Calgary.
- Binders are donated to Bound and Copied on campus.