Our team members at all four University Stores are committed to reducing our daily environmental impact. We have developed a Green Team, incorporated smart and sustainable product sourcing, and implemented environmentally conscious business practices into our daily operations to ensure that we, along with members of the Pitt community, are doing all we can to alleviate the University’s impact on the environment.
Visit The University Store on Fifth, The Pitt Shop, and Maggie & Stella’s to find a variety of products sourced with sustainability in mind. Use the “Sustainable Picks” filter to quickly find sustainable products.
BYO[BAG]
The BYO[Bag] program began in 2014 as a student project to reduce the University’s reliance on single-use bags. Since the the program’s inception, the University has prevented the use of more than 2 million plastic bags. We encourage all customers to bring their own bag when shopping at any of our stores.
Customers who do not bring their own bag are charged 25 cents for a single-use, disposable bag that is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. A portion of this fee benefits the Pitt Green Fund, a student-managed fund that supports student sustainability initiatives.. Since 2014, proceeds raised through the BYO[Bag] program have funded projects like providing students with access to reusable menstrual products, the construction of a greenhouse for the Plant2Plate student-run urban garden, the Sustainability Literacy and Culture Survey, equipment for Pitt’s Hydroponics Club, and more!
Regalia
The University of Pittsburgh’s regalia is provided by Oak Hall, which manufactures caps and gowns that are made of 100% post-consumer recycled PET, the most common plastic material used in products like plastic bottles, food containers, and clothing fiber. Using recycled PET reduces manufacturing emissions by 55% and uses 50% fewer petroleum products than traditional polyester.
If you decide you don’t want to keep your cap and gown, recycle your regalia after graduation at any of the University Stores by placing your unwanted regalia in one of our regalia recycling collection bins. Caps and gowns collected through the program are recycled into rugs and animal bedding.
Sustainable Picks
Products that we label we sustainable must meet a high standard. For a product to be considered sustainable at any four of our University Stores, it must meet one or more of our verifiable Sustainable Picks Criteria below:
- Locally Owned and Manufactured: We consider a product to be locally owned and manufactured if it is produced from a county located in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
- Made of Sustainable Materials: A product is sustainable when it is comprised of at least 50% recycled or renewable materials.
- Climate Neutral Certified: A manufacturer or supplier becomes Climate Neutral Certified when the commit to measure, reduce, and offset carbon emissions in alignment with the global GHG Protocol throughout their daily operations.
- Supports Zero-Waste and Reusable Habits: The product supports a zero waste lifestyle by replacing single-use products with reusable ones.
- Fair Trade: Fair Trade certifications ensure workers are paid equitable wages and have access to community development funds to support local economic development.
- The manufacturer has a Recycling Program for End-of-Use: Recycling, repair, and refurbishment programs keep products in circulation for a longer period, prevent unnecessary waste, and reduce demand to extract and manufacture new products.
- Diverse Ownership: We strive to source products that are manufactured and produced by diverse ownership to distribute the University’s fiscal power more equitably across businesses. Businesses are considered to be diverse if they possess one of more of the following certifications: Disadvantaged, Minority-Owned, Woman-Owned, Veteran-Owned, LGBTQ-Owned, and HUBZone Certifications.
University Stores Green Team
The University Stores Green Team formed in 2019 to advance sustainability initiatives throughout all four University Stores. The team is comprised of store staff members – from store managers and product buyer to associates and student workers. The team works to minimize landfill waste, source more sustainable products, make store operations more efficient, and to embed sustainability into everything we do.
Waste Minimization
To minimize waste, we strive to receive items packaged in cardboard, ship items in cardboard containers, and ensure that we recycle all unused packaging. Our receiving department staff are expert recyclers and re-users. Packing peanuts and bubble wrap are reused to reduce landfill contribution.