Hippie Christmas this, Hippie Christmas that, but what is Hippie Christmas anyway?! For many students and isthmus residents, leases end right around Aug. 14. Moving creates a lot of… well junk. This junk, whether it be desks, chairs, or a large Jimmy Johns sign (not speaking from experience or anything), accumulates along the side of the road.
Normally, the city prohibits leaving such large items outside of houses by the trash cans. But this is where Hippie Christmas comes in. Until the morning of Aug. 23, residents of the designated “Student Move Out Area” can pile large items onto the curb without a work order and the city works tirelessly to continuously pick up items. Normally, this would cost residents money but is free during move out time. This leaves the streets full of potential hidden treasures free for the taking — AKA Hippie Christmas.
This annual event also leads to a massive amount of garbage flowing into Madison’s landfills — more than 1 million pounds of it. Did your jaw drop? Mine sure did. Here is how you can make this period as smooth as possible.
Tips and Tricks
- Donate or sell as much as you can before moving out. This helps reduce waste, allows for less work for the city, and saves the Earth!
- Separate trash and recycling from one another. This also means you should not put trash in cardboard boxes, otherwise it will cause the cardboard to end up in the landfill.
- Do not pile other garbage on big items like tables and chairs.
What's Allowed on the Curb?
- Most large items do not require a work order for those in the student move out area. This includes things like couches, chairs, and bookshelves. All of these can go straight to the curb.
- Appliances like microwaves, refrigerators, and so on still require a new work order, even during this move out time.
- Make sure to keep these separate from other trash and recycling so the city can easily pick it up.
What Isn’t Allowed?
- No technology can be left on the curb — this includes TVs, computers, cell phones, routers, and modems.
- Anything with a plug should also be disposed of at drop-off sites. This includes items like Christmas tree lights, gaming systems, and vacuums.
- To recycle electronics, you must go to a drop-off site which can be found here.
