Tulane expands Move-Out waste diversion and donation initiatives

Parting is such sweet sorrow, but it doesn't have to create a lot of waste.

Tulane is significantly expanding its sustainability efforts this spring as a campus-wide coalition prepares for its most ambitious Move-out season yet. Led by Tulane Trash to Treasure, the Office of Sustainability and the Center for Public Service, the initiative aims to double its 2025 impact by diverting 70,000 pounds of goods students leave behind when they depart New Orleans for summer break from local landfills to local organizations.

The effort is part of a growing commitment to sustainability and partnership between Tulane and the New Orleans community, according to organizers. Collected items - ranging from small pieces of furniture and electronics to clothing and unopened food - will be diverted to the annual fall Trash to Treasure Move-In sale and distributed to more than 20 local nonprofit organizations that support the New Orleans community.

"This initiative represents the power of the Tulane community coming together to solve a logistical challenge with a sustainable solution. By rethinking how we handle this seasonal transition, we aren't just cleaning out residence halls; we are directing resources to our neighbors and providing students the opportunity to put 'reduce, reuse, and recycle' into practice at an enormous scale," said Jordan Stewart, director of the Tulane Office of Sustainability.

"When the data comes in, we should be able to see the cumulative impact of individual decisions across our student body on our contributions to local partners and reduction in landfill waste through this initiative," she added.

Founded in 2014 as a student-initiated venture, Trash to Treasure leads collections of gently used items students donate when they move out of their campus residences in May, stores them over the summer and offers them to incoming students at a discounted rate in fall. Proceeds from the sale are then donated to local nonprofits and used to fund the following year's spring collection.

To reach this year's 70,000-pound goal, the coalition has introduced two major innovations. First, the university will operate 24-hour collection sites in select locations to better accommodate the varied schedules of students during final exams and Move-Out.

Twenty-four-hour stations will be placed near Sharp Residence Hall, The Village quad, Wall Residential College, Butler Hall and Greenbaum Residence Hall. Monroe Hall and Aron Residences will have stations open from noon to 8 p.m.

These stations will be available to all Tulane affiliates living both on and off campus. To ensure campus safety and prevent illegal and dangerous "dumpster diving," the sites will be monitored by security personnel and the Tulane University Police Department.

The second innovation to achieve this year's goal is the introduction of the "Skip the Dumpster" donation bag. Funded by a grant from Keep Louisiana Beautiful, this effort will distribute reusable bags printed with the organization's logo containing donation instructions and a large blue recycling bag for larger donations. Students can fill the bags with items they plan to leave behind and return them to the collection stations, receiving the satisfaction of making a difference, as well as a "#SkiptheDumpster" sticker as a mark of their participation.

Organizers emphasize that student participation and leadership are vital to the program's success.

The university is also calling for current students, faculty and staff to volunteer to help sort and prepare the donations in preparation for the program's Move-In sale this fall. Learn more about volunteering by contacting [email protected].