A part of being a good neighbor as a Temple student is helping to keep our surrounding neighborhood clean. 

Last year, Temple Service Operations designed TUmove, a free on-demand type of trash collection service for students living off campus, in response to the critical mass of trash left in prior years during move-out. TUmove manages the pickup and disposal of bulk trash, preventing trash and unwanted furniture from accumulating on the streets and sidewalks when leases traditionally end.  

To be eligible for the TUmove program, you must 

• be a Temple student as of spring 2024 and 
• live in off-campus housing within the Temple patrol zone. 

From now until Aug. 16, students can schedule a pickup for trash or any bulk material Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations for an appointment can be made up to 48 hours in advance of the move-out date. If you have roommates who are also moving out, try to coordinate with them to have all your items collected at the same time—only one person needs to make an appointment for the household.  

Take your items outside to the curb no sooner than 5 p.m. the day before and no later than 7 a.m. on the day of your scheduled pickup. Students will receive an email or text message, along with a calendar invite confirming the pickup time. Keep in mind that if you miss your pickup time, you will be responsible for disposing of your items and you risk being fined by the city, and may lose your security deposit if items are dumped on the curb.  

TUmove will pick up bulk trash including  

• appliances (refrigerators, window air conditioning units, microwaves), 
• electronics (televisions, video game consoles, cell phones, computers, monitors, printers), 
• furniture (mattresses, couches, chairs, tables, bookcases, desks, rugs) and 
• general household trash in trash bags. 

Temple Service Operations also found success by providing dumpsters for students to access at their convenience. TUmove collection areas will have dumpsters available at the below locations between now and through Aug. 16. Students can bring their waste materials to any of these locations, and no registration is required. 

• 1600 block of West Berks Street 
• 1700 block of West Norris Street 
• 1800 block of West Berks Street 
• 1800 block of West Norris Street 

Students are also encouraged to consider donating or selling household items before throwing them away; this may help others and can earn you a little extra money. Plus, it could be a more sustainable choice. See this Temple Sustainability Blog post to learn more.  

For more information on the dos and don’ts of trash collection and recycling, including the collection schedules, visit the Philadelphia Streets Department. Students can also bring their waste to a city of Philadelphia sanitation center.  

Freon will be recovered from discarded appliances to prevent leakage into the environment. 

“Our students are ambassadors of Temple University both on and off campus, and we appreciate the effort they put into being good neighbors in the North Philadelphia community,” said Farrah Al-Mansoor, senior director, finance and administration at Temple University. 

The sign-up page and more information on Temple’s trash collection program can be accessed on the TUmove website.   

Feel free to call 215-204-6683 or email moveout@temple.edu with any questions.