Pitt’s Move Out Clean Out diverted a record 25K pounds from landfills

Pitt’s Move Out Clean Out program collected a record 25,637 pounds of materials from students moving out of campus housing this spring, a 13.6% increase over last year.

The program, formerly known as Clutter for a Cause, lets students donate usable items such as kitchenware, electronics and nonperishable food rather than send them to a landfill. This year’s effort also piloted an on-site resale program, redistributing 11 pallets of material — roughly 9% of the items collected. Additional items will be resold at a Welcome Week event in the fall.

This Pitt Sustainability initiative, which started in 2013, is a cross-departmental effort involving volunteers, student staff, housekeepers, building managers, movers and Pitt Police. The program supports a goal in the Pitt Sustainability Plan to reduce landfill waste 25% from 2017 levels by 2030; in fiscal year 2024, the University diverted 49% of its materials to recycling or reuse.

Photography by Aimee Obidzinski