In its eighth year, Rummage RAMPage raised more than $62,000 for local non-profit organizations and diverted a record amount of reusable items from landfills, according to the City of Ames. 

This year’s event lasted nine days, spanning two weekends, diverting usable items from landfills during a time when many students are moving into apartments. 

This year, 154,843 pounds of furniture and housewares were diverted from landfills, over 100,000 pounds more than the inaugural Rummage RAMPage in 2016.

“We are delighted and astonished at the amazing success Rummage RAMPage continues to experience each year,” Merry Rankin, Iowa State University sustainability director and city of Ames sustainability coordinator, stated in a news release. “Again, we welcomed increases in donations, purchases and volunteers. This outstanding show of community support continues to make this event thrive year after year.”

Forty-seven nonprofit groups, including several Iowa State student organizations, volunteered during Rummage RAMPage, including the Sri Lankan Student Association, Plant Pathology Graduate Student Organization, Peterson Squadron, Pakistan Student Association, Agronomy Graduate Student Club and more. 

The event is strategically scheduled during a time when student leases expire and new ones begin. This year, the event began July 28 and ended Aug. 5. 

Rummage RAMPage not only helps student organizations it helps students’ bank accounts.

Olivia Miller, sustainability director for Student Government and senior in environmental science, said Rummage RAMPage is a way for students to save in more ways than one. 

“Rummage RAMPage is going to be a lot cheaper than most thrift stores and buying new, of course, and it’s also just a way to reuse materials,” Miller said. “The biggest thing in the RRR [reduce, reuse, recycle], the biggest, most important one is reuse once the material has been made.”

Reusing home items such as furniture reduces emissions and waste and also helps students save cash.

The event not only benefits ISU students but it eases the load on the city of Ames Resource Recovery Plant (RRP). The RRP has reported an increase in furniture and large housewares during times when students are switching apartments, which can be hard on the Ames RRP, according to RRP Superintendent Bill Schmitt. 

“Finding new homes for usable items helps the Resource Recovery Plant in many ways,” Schmitt stated in a news release. “When products that are still useful find homes where they are needed instead of ending up in the trash, our system works more efficiently. There is always an increase in garbage at this time of the year, so everything we can do to reduce, reuse and recycle is helpful.”

The city of Ames partners with the Iowa State University Office of Sustainability to host the event, which has diverted more than 700,000 pounds of furniture and housewares from landfills and more than $200,000 for local nonprofits since it began in 2016. 

Next year’s Rummage RAMPage will be held July 26 through Aug. 3.