The Office of Sustainability and Student Housing & Residential Life (SHRL) have teamed up for several recycling workshops this semester, and their latest joint initiative could have a lasting impact on fellow students and Houstonians. 

At the end of each semester, students living in campus housing often discard items they no longer need. To prevent these items from going to waste, the Office of Sustainability and SHRL launched the “Move-Out, Cougars Donate” program—offering students a sustainable alternative for their unwanted dorm belongings. 

James Aguanno, SHRL Program Manager, explained that this initiative revives a past tradition in student housing. 

“Our goal was to bring a program that could stay and become a regular event—not just a one-off,” said Beatrix Madersbacher, Sustainability Coordinator. “It’s something we can institute within housing that promotes sustainability. Students are donating instead of throwing it away, and at the same time, it good for the people in Houston who receive the donated items.” 

From April 21 to May 11, large bins and containers were placed in residence halls, allowing students to donate a wide range of items, including books, notebooks, clothes, shoes, blankets, sleeping bags, backpacks, small kitchen appliances, jewelry, non-perishable food items like rice, pasta, and oats, cooking oils, and hygiene products. 

Once collected, the donations were sorted and distributed between two partner organizations: Green City Recycler and Cougar Cupboard, the university’s on-campus food pantry. Green City Recycler, which has previously partnered with Rice University and Texas A&M, received 8,115 pounds of donations. Cougar Cupboard received 1,221 pounds, bringing the total to an impressive 9,336 pounds of donated goods from Cougar Village I & II, Moody Towers, Cougar Place, The Quads, and The Lofts. 

Clothing and books were the most donated items. 

The success of the program is especially notable given the short timeline. Discussions about the partnership began in March, with the donation period launching just weeks later in April. 

“As the numbers show, it was clearly well-utilized by students, despite the limited time we had to promote it,” said Madersbacher. 

With the first semester of the program now complete, Aguanno is already looking ahead. 

“There have already been requests to have donation bins placed in our areas year-round,” he said. 

For Madersbacher, the program’s success highlights the strength of the collaboration between the Office of Sustainability and SHRL. 

“James and I had already been working to raise awareness around sustainability and waste reduction,” she said. “We see this program as an easy and effective way to bring that message into the residence halls.” 

To learn more about the Office of Sustainability’s campus initiatives, visit their website.