Trash to Treasure expands efforts to keep reusable items out of landfills

When students return to Tulane University this August for the beginning of the fall semester, they'll find the largest Trash to Treasure Move-In Sale in the program's history, thanks to a record-breaking spring collection that kept more than 92,000 pounds of reusable items out of local landfills.

Led by Tulane Trash to Treasure team members, the Center for Public Service and the Office of Sustainability, the annual campus move-out initiative collected 92,400 pounds of reusable goods in the spring, far surpassing its goal of 70,000 pounds. Working alongside students, parents, volunteers, staff and community partners, the program diverted the equivalent of nearly 18 dumpsters of waste from the landfill.

Of the items collected, more than 24,200 pounds - about 26% of the total - have been set aside for this year's Move-In Sale, which will take place from Sunday, Aug. 9, through Saturday, Aug. 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse.

The remaining 68,200 pounds have been donated to more than 30 local nonprofit organizations that support families, educators and communities throughout the New Orleans area.

"Trash to Treasure, the Center for Public Service and the Office of Sustainability work each year to create a robust and impactful annual move-out program that redirects usable goods to partners whose work helps communities on and off campus thrive," said Jordan Stewart, director of Tulane's Office of Sustainability. "We are thrilled that this year we have achieved a scale of operations that makes a difference for our communities."

She added, "The Trash to Treasure sale is a great opportunity to outfit a residence with quality items that fit the space, the budget and the realities of student life. This is the perfect way to kick off the academic year."

Founded in 2014 as a student organization, Trash to Treasure collects gently used items during spring move-out and gives them a second life through its annual Move-In Sale each fall. Proceeds from the sale help support local nonprofit organizations while funding the following year's collection efforts.

"Trash to Treasure promotes environmental sustainability, resource accessibility and community care by recovering, redistributing and reimagining usable goods that would otherwise become waste," said rising sophomore Keyana Campbell, who serves as the program's project manager.

This year's record-breaking collection was fueled in part by two new initiatives designed to make donating easier.

The first was the introduction of 24-hour collection stations at select locations, allowing students to donate items whenever they moved out. Volunteers sorted and packed donations during the day while security personnel and the Tulane University Police Department monitored collection sites overnight.

The second was the launch of the #SkipTheDumpster campaign. Supported by a Keep Louisiana Beautiful University Affiliate Grant, the initiative distributed reusable donation bags to students living on and off campus, encouraging them to donate usable items instead of throwing them away. Students who returned filled bags received an "I Skipped the Dumpster" sticker.

This year's Trash to Treasure effort was made possible through collaboration across the university. In addition to the three lead partners, Housing and Residence Life, Facilities Services, Tulane Hospitality and Shuttles & Transportation provided support. Community partners, including Goodwill of Southeast Louisiana and the STEM Teacher Free Store, helped ensure donated items quickly reached people and organizations that could use them.