As a new lease cycle begins, the leftover boxes that survived the garage sale culls usually pile up on curbsides or in the dumpster. But this Sunday, Iowa City will host a Donation Drive-Thru to help residents either donate or recycle their old belongings.
The drive-through will take place from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 24, on the lower level of the Chauncey Swan parking ramp. Drivers should enter on the Washington Street ramp. Any Johnson County resident can participate.
The Chauncey Swan used to be the site of the annual Rummage in the Ramp, before COVID-19 caused its cancellation in 2020. Last year, the Iowa City Division of Resource Management had a series of pop-up donation sites in June and July to provide people with alternatives to dumping items as they moved out when the semester ended or as their leases lapse. The Drive-Thru event is taking the place of those pop-ups.
Resource Management will be accepting donations of the following items.
• Books
• Unopened and non-perishable food
• Unopened hygiene and grooming products (like shampoo, soap, toothpaste)
• Working tools (like hammers, screwdrivers)
• Dining tables and chairs
• Working appliances (such as refrigerators, countertop microwaves)
• Comforters
• Mattresses and box springs
• Lamps
• Clothing and shoes
Donated items must be in good condition and, if appropriate, working. Certain items that have had harder lives than their gently used companions will also be accepted. The drive-through will take the following items for either recycling or disposal.
• Mattresses and box springs (for a $10 cash only, recycling fee per item)
• Batteries (all kinds accepted)
• Damaged or outdated books
• Light bulbs (CFL and LED bulbs accepted)
Volunteers from Compeer Johnson County, Iowa City Free Lunch Program, Iowa Master Naturalists, Iowa Track and Field Club and Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity will help unload and process the donations and recycled material.
The donations will go local nonprofits, including Antelope Lending Library, Crowded Closet, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Houses into Homes and Table to Table. Unlike Rummage in the Ramp, residents will not be able to purchase items at the event.
Although the Donation Drive-Thru won’t give people the chance to shop like Rummage in the Ramp did, there will be a big opportunity to browse second-hand items this weekend during the Iowa City Citywide Garage Sales on Saturday, June 23, from 8 a.m. to noon.
Potential sellers can sign up until Thursday by emailing their sale address, payment methods accepted and a description of their items to organizers. The full list of garage sales will be released Friday at noon.
