Move-out made easy: Recycle and donate during finals week
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 20, 2026) — Students: as you pack up and head out for the summer, don’t toss it — recycle or donate it.
Give and Go donation bins have been placed in residence hall lobbies and participating fraternity and sorority houses. During finals week (Monday, May 4-Friday, May 8), additional special collection bins will be available near the outdoor compactors at each residence hall and in Greek Park to collect additional donations and mattress toppers.
UK Grounds staff will be stationed near the outdoor compactors at each residence hall from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. during finals week to help students sort move-out items and reduce waste.
What can be donated or recycled during move-out:
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Cardboard, paper and plastics (recycling compactors)
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Mattress toppers (special collection bins near each residence hall’s outdoor compactors)
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Clothing, household items and nonperishable food (donation bins inside residence hall lobbies; special collection bins outside residence halls)
All donations collected during move-out will be distributed to UK Recycling’s partners: The Thrifty Cat, Big Blue Pantry and Goodwill. Learn more about UK Recycling programs at facilities.uky.edu/campus/facilities-services/recycling.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and healthcare. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.