August is moving time for much of Madison, when thousands of UW-Madison students shuffle from one apartment to the other. As they move, they shed a lot of stuff – an estimated 1 million pounds worth – which has given rise to “Hippie Christmas,” when thrifty scavengers hunt for treasures among the discarded junk.
City officials really don’t like the term “Hippie Christmas,” and they definitely hate seeing garbage piled up on the curb of Madison streets. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin talks to Madison recycling coordinator Bryan Johnson about the extra work the city puts in during moving season and the right to dispose of your unwanted trash.
Here are some tips for how to dispose of your unwanted stuff to make things as easy as possible for everyone, and how to have a little fun along the way.
Hitting the Streets
Every day until Aug. 22, the Streets Division will be performing extra collection duties in the downtown move-out zone. That includes extra crews to empty trash and recycling carts, and more large item pickups, for things like furniture and mattresses.
Some large items require large item work orders to be submitted in advance with the city. Such items mostly include appliances such as air conditioners and dehumidifiers, but also include tires and lawn mowers.
Hot (and Wet) Garbage
Everybody’s heard a story about somebody’s friend’s cousin who found a Prada bag or a pair of Beats headphones while scavenging on Hippie Christmas. In reality, it’s almost all garbage. That’s why it’s at the curb. And that’s before somebody’s dog relieved themselves on it or it got rained on (which it definitely did).
So, don’t scavenge. And if you’re moving and you have stuff that’s still usable, why not donate it to one of the many worthy causes around Madison? Some of them will even come out and pick it up for you.
Donate or Recycle
It’s a good idea to make a plan for moving, and figure out in advance what items you’re taking and what you’re getting rid of. That way, you can plan on donating and recycling usable items so that others can use them rather than kicking them to the curb.
But it’s not too late! TVs, printers, and other electronics can be taken to a designated city drop-off site, and there is no fee for dropping them off.
You can also donate clothes, furniture, even artwork to a number of different places in Madison. Madison has a ton of resale and thrift shops that might be interested – just be sure to call ahead and make sure they want them.
Other places might take specialty items – for example, Madison Public Library locations can take not only books but CDs, video games, and even jigsaw puzzles. The Bodgery may accept donated tools. And the Textile Arts Center of Madison is always looking for yarn, buttons, fabric, and sewing supplies.
If all else fails, tap into Madison’s local share economy, like Nextdoor or Facebook Marketplace, to see if somebody out there wants what you’re trying to get rid of.
It’s a Hippie Christmas Miracle!
Once everything is moved in (or out), take a break and celebrate. On Aug. 15, Art + Literature Laboratory is holding “Hippie Christmas Fest,” which will have both live music and art as well as mutual aid organizations on-site, including organization sessions and free school supplies.
And Madison Children Museum’s Adult Swim on Aug. 15 has a “Moving Day” theme. Play the jumbo Tetris game, navigate an obstacle course, and learn about your renters’ rights from the Tenant Resource Center.
