Move-out week doesn’t have to mean landfill week.
The Second-hand Shuffle, organized by Queen’s Off-Campus Living Advisors’ Office, will take place at MacGillivray-Brown Hall on Barrie Street from April 20 to May 1. The initiative began in 2023, allowing Queen’s students to drop off unwanted but usable household items and to take others free of charge. The initiative is designed to divert usable items from landfills, so students can access essential household goods without cost.
This year, students can drop off functioning, unsoiled items such as furniture, small appliances, kitchenware, electronics, office supplies, clothing, linens, and non-perishables from April 20 to 24. From April 28 to 30, students can both drop off and pick up donated items. The final day, May 1, will be pickup only, with the morning reserved for students, and the event opening to community members later in the day.
In an interview with The Journal, Mary Ann Tierney, Queen’s off-campus living advisor, said the event addresses both environmental and financial concerns within the student community.
“It’s a waste reduction event. […] It’s a large yard sale that benefits waste reduction and students who are either moving off campus for the very first time or currently live off campus, and they need items,” Tierney explained.
Furthermore, she said that many of the items collected through the event would otherwise end up in the landfill during the busy student move-out period. By creating a designated place for students to bring unwanted items, the program helps usable goods to be redistributed rather than discarded.
Asher Chan, ArtSci ’27, who is completing a sustainable faculties internship, shared in an interview with The Journal that the environmental impact of the initiative can be significant. He cited the 2025 Second-hand Shuffle Stats Report, which outlines 5,398 items donated with an estimated value of $212,430 and approximately 65 metric tons of CO2 emissions prevented.
Beyond the environmental impact, Tierney noted the personal impact on those picking up and dropping off items, and how grateful participants are, whether they’re volunteers, students, or parents.
“Students and parents, when they were coming in to pick up, expressed how great this event is,” Tierney said. “Most people don’t really go into their whole life story, but you can see the impact in just observing,”
According to their 2025 stats report, last year’s event saw 1,473 participants, who Tierney explained were evenly split between students dropping off and picking up items. She emphasized that the event relies on support from staff, interns, and student volunteers to sort donations and help manage the space throughout the event.
After the student pickup period concludes on May. 1. at 2 p.m., remaining items will be made available to community members and local charities to ensure as many items as possible are rehomed rather than discarded.
Tags
MacGillivray-Brown Hall, Queen’s Off-Campus Living Advisors’ Office, Second-hand Shuffle
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