Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) has been preparing for the UCSB Move Out since the beginning of the year. A key goal of the district has been to facilitate a more sustainable and less disruptive move-out process at the end of each school year.

Historically, this has posed a major issue with waste management. Every year, Move Out generates about 1 million pounds of waste to be collected. Since 2000, more than 20.2 million pounds of material has been removed from the streets of Isla Vista.

In March, IVCSD hosted the first community-wide yard sale. The rain didn’t deter 96 people from hosting 30 yard sales at their houses and the Isla Vista Community Center.

The event was so successful, there will be another opportunity on May 27 for residents and community members to host or attend a yard sale from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

To host a yard sale, sign up here.

“I have lived through several move-outs here in Isla Vista. I know firsthand how disruptive, stressful, and wasteful this time of year can be,” said Jenna Norton, IVCSD’s Isla Vista Beautiful program manager. “It has been a pleasure to have been given the opportunity to work on brand-new ways to improve this process.

“While we may not see immediate change, I believe that consistency in education and the opportunity to rid of unwanted items throughout the years will change the culture of ‘move out.'”

With UCSB’s spring quarter full of events, finals, graduation and moving, residents often have difficulty getting to donation centers.

To keep perfectly good items out of the landfill, IVCSD’s Isla Vista Beautiful (IVB) Team has been hosting an unwanted-item pickup, allowing residents to leave items on their doorstep and the IVB team picks them up via the e-bike.

Items are then donated to local nonprofits, and anything leftover goes to a thrift store. By beginning to collect unwanted items early, the district is helping to prevent thrift stores from being bombarded in June. 

The district will support the operations of UCSB’s annual GIVE Sale by helping recruit volunteers and staffing operations.

Individuals interested in volunteering you can sign up here.

Every year, GIVE saves some 40 tons of donated goods from landfill. Volunteers help organize and sort donations 8 a.m.-8 p.m., June 14-23.

Volunteers will earn money for an Isla Vista nonprofit, and students can earn community service hours. For more, click here. 

Because thrift stores are often full at this time of year, IVCSD will store any leftover furniture from the GIVE Sale. Those items will be offered at Welcome Sale in September for incoming students to furnish their new apartments.

Santa Barbara County partners with Marborg to increase service in Isla Vista throughout move-out. Starting the week before graduation and continuing for about two weeks, Marborg has trash trucks out daily collecting bulky items and other discarded materials from the curbside, as well as emptying trash and recycling bins.

Information, including the guidelines of what is accepted and where other items can be properly disposed of, can be found on IVCSD’s website. 

The goal of district’s move-out program is to help residents acknowledge the choices they make over the entire year will impact the amount of waste created during move-out.

By integrating sustainable practices into their lives, preparing to move early, and taking the time to ensure their unwanted items have a home, Isla Vista residents can help the environment while experiencing a less stressful move-out experience.

Throughout the year, the IVB team has been collecting boxes to keep them out of landfill and prevent residents from having to buy new boxes. Boxes will be distributed to community members at the end of May to start packing their items.

To address food recovery, IVCSD’s Compost Collective hosts a food drive to collect unwanted non-perishable items to donate into the community. Last year, 2,300 pounds of edible food were collected. 

Visit IVCSD’s webpage for more information and other move-out resources, including local storage facilities, donation sites, how to dispose of bulky items, sustainable move-out tips, and local contact information.

“Since 1990, the GIVE Benefit Sale has accepted donations of unwanted and reusable goods, furniture, and canned and packaged foods during Isla Vista and UCSB’s annual move-out time in June,” said Viviana Marsano, UCSB’s director of Civic and Community Engagement and Isla Vista liaison.

“The donations are sold at a giant sale, and 100% of proceeds benefit organizations and projects that improve the quality of life in Isla Vista. Unsold items are donated to local thrift stores,” she said.