The University of Pittsburgh facilitates a zero-waste move-in and out process with Clutter for a Cause. We collect clothing, textiles, dorm room essentials, electronics, personal hygiene products, and non-perishable food items for on- and off-campus locations. Clutter for a Cause is organized by the Pitt EcoReps, Student Office of Sustainability, Pitt Surplus, Pitt Pantry, University of Thriftsburgh, and the Pitt Police. The off-campus Clutter for a Cause is organized by Off-Campus Student Services and partners with Oakland Planning and Development Corporation (OPDC).
Clutter for a Cause will take place during move out 2024 from Wednesday, April 24 through Sunday, April 28!
Accepted Items
Donated items must be clean and dry.
- Textiles – clothing, accessories, shoes, towels, duvet covers, blankets, curtains, bedding
- Kitchen items – mini-fridges (clean, dry and free of food), microwaves, rice cookers, Keurig or coffee pots and small kitchenware items (plates, cups, utensils, etc).
- Non-perishable Food and Hygiene Items – Please do not donate opened or expired items! In partnership with the Pitt Police’s Most Wanted Food Drive.
- Books and Textbooks
- Dorm Essentials – mirrors, lamps, school organization items like dry erase boards, plastic bins, clothing organizers, laundry baskets
- Electronics – TVs, computers, computer monitors, printers, keyboards, mice, cables, phones, cameras. Personal data must be removed from all electronics before donating them.
Not Accepted
Foam mattress toppers, mattresses, upholstered furniture (futons/couches), rugs, and stuffed animals.
Donation Locations and Times
Donations are accepted at any time at unstaffed locations in residence halls, and during open hours at the following staffed locations:
- Schenley Quad (between Amos Hall and McCormick Hall)
- Litchfield Towers Lobby (across from Panther Central)
- Sutherland Hall parking lot (next to the rear entrance to Sutherland Hall)
- Bouquet Gardens Pop-Up (in the Sennott Square Parking Lot at Sennott St. and Oakland Ave.)
- Friday, April 26 from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m
- Open to Pitt and Oakland community members
Staffed Station Open Hours
- Wednesday, April 24 – Noon until 6 p.m.
- Thursday, April 25 – 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.
- Friday, April 26 – 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.
- Saturday, April 27 – 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.
- Sunday, April 28 - 8:30 a.m. until Noon
Donate accepted items at any time Wednesday, April 24 until Sunday, April 28 at unstaffed locations available to residents of these residence halls only:
- Lothrop Hall – Ground Floor Lobby
- Ruskin Hall – Ground Floor Lounge
- Nordenberg Hall – Lobby
- Panther Hall – Lobby
- Irvis Hall – Lobby
- Forbes Hall – Lounge
- University Hall – Lobby
Reducing Move-Out Waste Starts at Move-In
Being mindful of what you bring to college helps reduce waste. We encourage you to pack minimally when coming to campus and consider the durability of what you bring. What will happen to that item when you no longer need it? How long will it last? Can it be donated, reused, or recycled, or will it end up in a landfill?
Review Panther Central's Move-In Checklist to learn more about what items you should or should not bring to campus.
De-Clutter Your Dorm
Our goal is to reduce the number of items that go into landfills during student move-out. Make move-out easy by planning ahead and packing accordingly. Remember, the more you donate and recycle throughout the year, the less you have to manage when moving out!
Take the Following Steps to De-Clutter Your Dorm:
- Donate unworn or unwanted clothing to University of Thriftsburgh
- Place textiles that cannot be donated, like beddings, towels, and rugs into a textile recycling bin, which are located in several residence halls across campus. Find your nearest textile recycling bin.
- Rehome your old bike, regardless of its condition, to the Pitt Bike Cave.
- Provide food security to those in need by donating non-perishable food items to the Pitt Food Pantry.
Don’t Leave Unwanted Items in Your Room!
State laws prohibit us from collecting and donating items that are left in residence hall rooms after move-out. Leaving unwanted items in your room not only results in a penalty to your housing accounting and creates additional work for housekeeping staff, but also increases the chance that unwanted items end up in a landfill.
Clutter for a Cause Partners
Clutter for a Cause collects items for the following organizations:
University of Thriftsburgh
The University of Thriftsburgh is a student-run thrift store on campus that encourages students to reuse, repair, and recycle! Shopping for second-hand clothing reduces textile waste, cuts carbon, and promotes a culture of re-use.
The Pitt Pantry
The Pitt Pantry ensures that all members of the Pitt community have access to a healthy lifestyle by providing those in need with food items, hygiene products, and free services.
Pitt Surplus
Pitt Surplus collects, refurbishes, and resells a wide array of items across the University – from furniture to technology to motorized vehicles. The Pitt Surplus team ensures that functional items that are no longer in use by the University are repurposed and resold, reducing the University’s landfill contribution.
The Clutter for a Cause team works to donate items to a number of local non-profits. If your non-profit community organization is interested in receiving donated items reach out to us at SOOS@pitt.edu!