# UK launches Give and Go program to divert move-out waste  
**Published:** 2026-04-17T14:17:12.000Z  
**Source:** [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/student-news/move-out-made-easy-recycle-and-donate-during-finals-week)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uk-launches-give-and-go-program-to-divert-move-out-waste

LEXINGTON, Ky. — As University of Kentucky students prepare to leave campus for the summer, the university is urging them to recycle and donate unwanted items rather than discard them during finals week. The [Give and Go donation initiative](https://uknow.uky.edu/student-news/move-out-made-easy-recycle-and-donate-during-finals-week) has placed collection bins in residence hall lobbies and participating fraternity and sorority houses to facilitate the process, according to university officials.

During finals week, May 4-8, UK Grounds staff will station themselves near outdoor compactors at each residence hall from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. to help students sort move-out items and reduce waste. Additional special collection bins will be positioned near the compactors and in Greek Park to handle donations and mattress toppers, a category the program is highlighting for the first time.

The initiative addresses a significant problem on college campuses. [Studies indicate that U.S. colleges generate over 230 tons of move-out waste annually](https://dropcurb.com/blog/college-move-out-waste-report), with the average student producing roughly 640 pounds of solid waste per year, most of it during the end-of-semester rush.

Items accepted in the program include cardboard, paper and plastics for recycling; mattress toppers for special collection; and clothing, household items and nonperishable food for donation. [All donations will be distributed to UK Recycling's partners: The Thrifty Cat, the Big Blue Pantry and Goodwill](https://facilities.uky.edu/campus/facilities-services/recycling), ensuring collected items support the local community.

[In spring 2025, the Give and Go initiative collected a record 31,110 pounds of donations and recyclables](https://facilities.uky.edu/news/uk-recycling-sets-record-over-15-tons-collected-during-2025-campus-move-out), marking the second year of enhanced participation from Greek houses. The program has collected more than 79 tons of donations since 2016.

UK's recycling efforts align with [the university's broader goal of becoming a zero-waste campus by 2030](https://facilities.uky.edu/campus/facilities-services/recycling), which would mean diverting 90 percent of all waste from landfills. Ryan Lark, UK's zero-waste specialist, emphasized that strategic partnerships and student participation drive meaningful environmental change on campus.

## Sources

- [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/student-news/move-out-made-easy-recycle-and-donate-during-finals-week)
- [UK Recycling facilities and programs information](https://facilities.uky.edu/campus/facilities-services/recycling)
- [2025 move-out record collection data from UK Facilities Management](https://facilities.uky.edu/news/uk-recycling-sets-record-over-15-tons-collected-during-2025-campus-move-out)
- [College move-out waste statistics and campus rankings](https://dropcurb.com/blog/college-move-out-waste-report)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from University of Kentucky News, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://uknow.uky.edu/student-news/move-out-made-easy-recycle-and-donate-during-finals-week.