Patriot Packout (PPO) is Mason’s annual end-of-the year donation initiative. PPO provides on-campus donation resources for all students, faculty, and staff affected by move-out. PPO diverts usable items from trash and redistributes them to Mason students, faculty/staff, and community members who can benefit from them.
PPO is made possible with the support of volunteers and Mason partners! Join us to make this year’s move-out even more sustainable!
VOLUNTEER FOR PATRIOT PACKOUT 2023
All Patriot Packout volunteer opportunities are featured on our University Sustainability Volunteer Portal.
DONATION LOCATIONS
POP-UP LOCATIONS: May 5 – May 8 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Rogers and Whitetop (center courtyard)
- Hampton Roads (sidewalk near Rappahannock Parking Deck)
- Eisenhower Hall (courtyard area facing Kennedy and Truman halls)
- Eastern Shore (near the bike shelter close to the roundabout)
- Rappahannock River Parking Deck (southeast corner)
- Potomac Heights (covered breezeway)
- The Globe (loading dock)
- Hosted by Parking and Transportation, visit their PPO Donation Drive webpage here! (placement in image below).
- Parking Services Offices at Fairfax, Mason Square (Arlington), and SciTech Campuses
WHEN: Now – May 22
WHERE: Beacon Hall lobby area (24/7)
If you are commuting or traveling to the Fairfax Campus, you are encouraged to drop-off donation items.
POP-UP LOCATIONS: May 5 – May 8 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Rogers and Whitetop (center courtyard)
- Hampton Roads (sidewalk near Rappahannock Parking Deck)
- Eisenhower Hall (courtyard area facing Kennedy and Truman halls)
- Eastern Shore (near the bike shelter close to the roundabout)
24/7 DROP-OFF LOCATIONS: May 9 – May 22
- Rappahannock River Parking Deck (southeast corner)
- Potomac Heights (covered breezeway)
- The Globe (loading dock)
PATRIOT PANTRY FOOD DRIVE: May 1 – May 17 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Monday – Friday)
- Hosted by Parking and Transportation
- Parking Services Offices at Fairfax, Mason Square (Arlington), and SciTech Campuses
WHEN: Now – May Move-Out
WHERE: G.T. Halpin Family Living and Learning Community residence hall lobby area (24/7)
ACCEPTED DONATIONS
We accept all donated items that are in gently used, like new, or new condition.
Bikes, Scooters, and Skateboards
- Bring to donation locations. If you can’t bring your bike to a donation location, email transpo@gmu.edu a photo of your bike and its bike rack location.
Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories
- All items must be clean and bagged separately.
Non-Perishable Food and Toiletry Supplies
- Food and toiletry supplies must be unused/unopened and not expired or close to expiration.
Textbooks, Testing Supplies, and Art Supplies
- Fragile items must be boxed separately, all testing supplies must be unused/unopened.
Home Goods
- Fabric/fragile items must be bagged or boxed separately.
Small Appliances and Electronics
- Fragile items must be boxed separately
Small Furniture and Equipment
- Mirrors must be unbroken, and all furniture must be assembled.
Your donations benefit Mason’s Patriot Packout partners: Parking and Transportation, Trans Clothing Closet, LGBTQ+ Resources Center, Patriot Pantry, Art Supplies Sharing Closet, and Computing and Engineering Diversity Resource and Information Center (CEDRIC).
Donation items Patriot Packout partners need to support Mason Patriots are included below.
All transportation-related donations benefit Mason Parking and Transportation's bike and scooter programs (e.g., Fall Bike Sale).
- Bicycles
- Scooters
- Skateboards/Longboards
All items must be clean and in like-new or gently used condition.
* Masculine coded clothing, as well as plus sizes, are particularly helpful!
- Chest Binders
- Extra Small (XS) Clothing
- Extra Extra Small (XXS) Clothing
- Extra Large (XL) Clothing
- Extra Extra Large (2XL) Clothing
- Extra Extra Extra Large (3XL) Clothing
- Skirts (Medium, Large)
- T-Shirts (Medium, Large)
- Crop Tops (Medium, Large)
- Camisoles (Medium)
- Pullover Hoodies (Medium)
- Casual Women Shoes (Size 10)
- Chest Binders (Large, Extra Large)
- Men’s Pants (Small)
- Blazers/Suits
- Shoes
- Storage Bags/Bins
- Utility Carts
NO expired/near expired items will be accepted.
All toiletry and food supplies must be unopened/unused.
* Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and other dietary restriction options are particularly encouraged!
- Pasta and Sauce
- Rice (instant or regular)
- Canned Tuna, Chicken, Salmon
- Mac N Cheese
- Hormel Compleats
- Mixed Vegetables
- Soups
- Cereal and Other Breakfast Items
- Instant Oatmeal
- Healthy Snacks (crackers, nuts, granola bars)
- Peanut Butter/Jelly
- Toilet Paper
- Paper Towels
- Deodorant
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Body Wash/Bar Soap
- Period Products
- Shaving Cream
- Lotion
- Hand Soap
- Toothpaste
- Floss
- Laundry Detergent
* Please box all small/fragile supplies before donating.
- Magazines/Scrap Paper
- Printer Paper
- Writing Utensils
- Journals/Notebooks
- Paperclips
- Binders
- Yarn and Needlework
- Fabric and sewing materials (not actual clothing, but raw materials)
- Jewelry and beading
- Sheets of Vinyl
- Epoxy Resin molds and Equipment (no resin, related materials only)
- Seasonal Decor
- Gift Wrapping & Other Storage
- Dried or Fake Floral
- Other supplies that can be repurposed for art
All testing supplies should be unopened/unused.
* Please box all small/fragile supplies before donating.
- Textbooks
- Scantrons
- Bluebooks
- Notebooks
- No. 2 Pencils
MOVE-OUT WASTE DISPOSAL
Waste disposal information is provided for residents of Mason’s residence halls and folks disposing of their waste at any of the university’s campuses.
Standard Waste Streams:
Locations:
Residence hall waste and recycling rooms
Metal exterior trash bins (co-located with metal cans & bottles recycling)
Designated (large 30-yard) outdoor trash containers on the Fairfax Campus
- Northern Neck (in front of the front-end dumpster by Starbucks)
- Eastern Shore parking lot (by solar dumpster)
- Blueridge (facing Commonwealth)
- The Commons (end of parking lot on Buffalo Creek Ct.)
- Potomac Heights (corner of Lot R)
- Liberty Square (main entrance)
- Ike’s Café (curb leading up to Presidents Park)
- Presidents Park (Harrison Bldg.)
- White Top in front of the front-end dumpster.
- Rogers Hall (small parking lot by Subway)
- Townhouses (by dumpsters at the end of the road near the bike rack)
Throw Away:
- All single-use plastics and polystyrene items
- All mixed materials (chip bags, cartons, etc.)
- All single-use items contaminated with food/beverage waste
- All expired/empty toiletries (hand soaps, shampoo bottles, etc.)
Locations:
- Residence hall waste and recycling rooms
- Designated paper recycling bins inside buildings
Recycle:
- All clean and dry mixed and white paper in recycling bins
Locations:
- Residence hall waste and recycling rooms
- Designated cans & bottles recycling bins inside buildings
- Metal exterior recycling bins (co-located with metal trash)
Recycle:
- All empty and clean aluminum cans, tins, and bottles
- All empty and clean plastic bottles and jugs (lids/labels are fine)
Locations:
- Residence hall waste and recycling rooms
- Designated outdoor recycling container (Presidents Park and Townhouses only)
Recycle:
- All clean and dry cardboard should be broken down and placed next to recycling bins
Drop-Off Only Waste Streams:
Locations:
- At the PPO Pop-Up locations on Fairfax Campus
- At PPO 24/7 locations on Fairfax Campus
- At pilot compost bins at the Starbucks Northern Neck on Fairfax Campus
Drop-Off:
- Food waste
- Beverage liquids
Locations:
- At the PPO Pop-Up locations on Fairfax Campus
- At PPO 24/7 locations on Fairfax Campus
- At Purple Can Club locations off-campus
Drop-Off:
- All clean and dry glass bottles and jars (lids/labels are fine)
- Do not include paper or plastic bags
Locations:
- At the PPO Pop-Up locations on Fairfax Campus
Drop-Off:
- All household batteries
- All lithium batteries (tape ends)
Locations:
- At the PPO Pop-Up locations on Fairfax Campus
Drop-Off:
- All used/expired household cleaning supplies (used cleaning supplies have sealed lids/closed nozzles)
Drop-Off Only Disposal Locations
When:
- May 5 – May 8 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Where:
- Rogers and Whitetop (center courtyard)
- Hampton Roads (sidewalk near Rappahannock Parking Deck)
- Eisenhower Hall (courtyard area facing Kennedy and Truman halls)
- Eastern Shore (near the bike shelter close to the roundabout)
When:
- May 5 – May 22
Where:
- Rappahannock River Parking Deck (southeast corner)
- Potomac Heights (covered breezeway)
- The Globe (loading dock)
Each year, PPO volunteers collect like-new, gently used, and new donations at the Fairfax Campus, the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, and the Science and Technology Campus.
Donations are redistributed to Mason Patriots and local community members in need, preventing useful items from ending up in the trash.
PPO 2023 donations support the Patriot Pantry, Trans Clothing Closet, Art Supply Sharing Closet, the First Gen+ Center, and Mason Parking and Transportation’s bike and scooter programs, among others.
VOLUNTEER FOR PATRIOT PACKOUT 2023
All Patriot Packout volunteer opportunities are featured on our University Sustainability Volunteer Portal.
You can create a free account, browse the volunteer opportunities, and sign up for as many as you would like! Mason employees can learn more about how to volunteer by visiting our volunteer page. Mason-affiliated folks are encouraged to create an account with their @gmu.edu email address.
Since 2010, Patriot Packout has redistributed 117,508 pounds (58.8 tons) of donations to not-for-profit partners.
In 2019, PPO donated 10,631 pounds of reusable goods and supplies.
- Donated 6,035 pounds of clothing (45%)
- Donated 2,627 pounds of non-perishable food and toiletries donated to Food For Others and the Patriot Pantry (19%)
- A total of 315 bikes were donated to Mason Parking & Transportation for Mason’s fall bike sale, supporting the Patriot Bicycle Checkout Program
Despite the quick pivot to a smaller drop-off event, PPO 2022 donated 3,701 pounds of reusable goods and supplies.
- Donated 1,042 pounds of electronics and appliances (28%)
- Over 575 pounds of donations to on-campus resources (16%).
- Engaged volunteers in 40 hours of service learning over three days.
- Supported first textbook donation effort, donating 34 pounds of usable textbooks to the First Gen+ Center’s sharing library.
- Reduces the waste disposal of usable items and transfers them to folks in need.
- Donates food and toiletry supplies to students through the Patriot Pantry and other Mason resources.
- Provides a safe donation and disposal alternative for hazardous and universal waste items.
- Reduces improper dumping of broken appliances and furniture and pollution, protecting Housing and Residence Life and Facilities staff members.
- Decreases waste hauling and disposal costs while reducing staff time spent on waste removal and monitoring.
- Streamlines the move-out process by providing students and families with a resource to donate items.
- Provides service-learning and civic engagement opportunities for all participants.
PPO began in 2003, when Mason Facilities staff members collected clothing items and transported them to the Salvation Army to divert them away from move-out trash bins. It became a formal initiative in 2010, through a partnership between University Sustainability, Housing and Residence Life, Parking and Transportation, and Facilities Management.
Since 2010, PPO has diverted 117,508 pounds (58.8 tons) of reusable goods, electronics/appliances, non-perishable food supplies, and toiletries through not-for-profit donations!
Past donation partners included on-campus resources like Mason’s Patriot Pantry, the Trans Clothing Closet, and the Art Supply Sharing Closet. However, most PPO donations were typically distributed off-campus through partnerships with non-profit organizations like Food for Others, Goodwill, the Salvation Army, AmVets, and the Clock Tower Thrift Shop.
In 2023, University Sustainability launched the Patriot Packout Planning Committee to expand PPO’s impact on campus, with the goal of prioritizing the free redistribution of donated goods to the Mason community and those in need.
PATRIOT PACKOUT PLANNING COMMITTEE
The PPO Planning Committee is comprised of more than 20 Mason community members who work together to plan and execute the Patriot Packout end-of-the-year donation initiative.
Join the Patriot Packout Planning Committee – submit your interest form today!
Learn more about the Patriot Packout Planning Committee
Resources
- Media Kit
- PPO 2023 Volunteer Flyer
- Parking and Transportation’s PPO Donation Drive
- University Sustainability Volunteer Portal
- PPO 2023 Waste Disposal Flyer
- PPO 2023 Donation List
- PPO Donation Data 2010-2022
- PPO Planning Committee Interest Form
- University Sustainability Volunteer Portal
- Zero Waste Mason