A Unique Recycling Event – Rummage in the Ramp

by Dave Bradley

If you live in and around Iowa City or if you are real bargain hunter, mark next Saturday, July 23rd, on your calendar. The Rummage in the Ramp kicks off next Saturday. It is a huge, huge garage sale. And if you can’t make it next Saturday, well you have a whole week to visit.

Rummage in the Ramp is an event that started about five years ago. City officials decided that it made no sense to throw away perfectly good household items which were being left out by departing students and other citizens in late July.

I know not who had this great idea, but someone decided that it would be a good idea to take all salvageable items to the ramp parking lot in Chauncey Swan Plaza (downtown Iowa City by the Recreation Center)  and have a huge (and very reasonably priced) garage sale.

Since that first year the sale has grown tremendously. Many groups such as sororities help with the project. The city has expanded to include not only what has been left by the curb, but also now takes donations. This saves the city huge amounts of landfill area and costs and recycles perfectly good items to happy homes.

Over the years, we have snared such items as very good vacuums, some furniture items, and one heck of a good printer.

The schedule and lots more about this unique event can be found here

If you miss it this year, there will be another next year. And students and parents of students, this is a great place to find furniture for an apartment!