During the first week of classes, the Basic Needs team in the Office of Student Financial Aid partnered with Mad City Moving and University Housing Sustainability to host the second Badger Reclaim Pop-Up Shop, helping students kick off the academic year with free essentials and sustainable finds. What was scheduled as a six-hour event (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) turned into a whirlwind success, with almost every item claimed in just one hour!

The excitement reflects the growing impact of Badger Reclaim. Through the Large Claims Process launched in early August, 88 students found 195 reclaimed items, including microwaves, office chairs, shelving units, tables, and other larger household essentials. At the Pop-Up Shop, 155 students stopped by and claimed approximately 380 free items ranging from fans, mirrors, laundry baskets, and lamps to room décor and other hidden treasures.

In total, nearly 600 reclaimed items found a new home with students this fall, reducing waste, supporting sustainability efforts, and helping students save money as they settled into campus life.

We are thrilled to see so many students benefit from this program while giving quality items a second life and strengthening a culture of sustainability at UW–Madison.