What is Cooperative Reuse?

“Cal Move Out” brings together the resources of the university, the city, in an effort to decrease the environmental and social impacts of illegal dumping in near-campus neighborhoods at the end of the school year. Cooperative Reuse is an annual student-led furniture exchange program first started by Berkeley Student Cooperative in 2018. Since then, we have partnered with the City of Berkeley, on-campus organizations, and businesses including Chipman Relocation and Logistics, Goodwill and Gig Car Share to expand the program and accept more items than ever before.

In 2024, students accepted nearly 200,000 pounds of reusable household items and made them free to students and the community, including: hundreds of mattresses, 488+ chairs, 1 marble top kitchen island and sink; 156+ couches, 50+ trash cans, 1 organ and so much more. In partnership with Goodwill, the program also diverted nearly 10,000 pounds of clothes, books and housewares from the landfill.

Learn more about this year’s Cooperative Reuse event here!

Partnerships

Berkeley Government & Community Relations

Community Guidelines

Participants must be respectful, collaborative and supportive of a sustainable and equitable move out:

Following the directions of CR organizers and campus staff
Maintaining a respectful attitude towards other visitors, CR organizers and campus staff
“Stepping back, after stepping up” to ensure all participants can enjoy CR’s limited resources and free items
Following relevant campus policies, including paying for campus parking per campus policy Keep track of your trash: if you bring in food or other items that produce waste, you pack it out. CR is not responsible for sorting and disposing of your waste.
CR organizers can refuse service and ask participants to leave campus property if community expectations are not adhered to, and when necessary, CR organizers can and will call on campus security professionals, including UCPD and Parking & Transportation.