Business, Hospitality, and Auxiliary Services has a long-standing history of implementing sustainable practices to reduce waste following restorative and regenerative circular economy principles. Learn how our department is working with Pitt students, faculty, and staff to implement programming throughout our residence halls, dining facilities, and stores to reduce the University’s environmental impact.
Residence Halls
Clutter for a Cause: Move-Out Responsibly!
When students move-out of their on-campus accommodation each spring, thousands of pounds of clothing, bedding, towels, appliances, furniture, and other items are donated and prevented from wasting in landfill. Learn how you can declutter your dorm and prevent your unwanted items from ending up in landfill.
Maintenance Requests
Each year, the Business, Hospitality, and Auxiliary Services’ Maintenance Team process more than 150,000 repair requests that prevent furniture, fixtures, and critical equipment from needing to be replaced. Repairing and refurbishing equipment preserves its and reduces the demand on resources for new equipment. Contact Panther Central if you notice a leak or problem in a University administrative building, residence hall, or dining hall.
Mattress Recycling
The University works with mattress providers to ensure that discarded mattresses are either donated or recycled properly.
MicroFridge
Hundreds of mini-fridges and microwaves are discarded during move-out each year. To combat the excess number that are placed in landfills each year, the University partners with MicroFridge. MicroFridge allows students to rent EnergyStar-rated combination refrigerator, freezer, and microwave units specifically designed for residence hall use. MicroFridges thoroughly cleans, maintains, and repairs each rentable unit on an annual basis. Visit MicroFridge's website for additional information on their rentals and services.
Recycling in Your Residence Hall
All residence halls at the University of Pittsburgh offer recycling! Each room or suite contains one recycling bin to collect recyclables. Recycling must be taken to your residence hall or on-campus apartment’s landfill and recycling room.
Tips for Recycling in Your Residence Hall:
- Only recycle items that are clearly listed on the recycling signage posted in your building’s landfill and recycling room.
- All items placed in a recycling bin should be emptied, cleaned, and dried to reduce contamination.*
- Plastic bags, pizza boxes, and coffee cups are not recyclable and should not be placed in campus recycling bins. Pizza boxes are compostable in buildings that offer composting.
*It’s crucial to eliminate contaminants, or items that are placed in the recycling bin that aren’t recyclable or are wet with liquid or food residue. The University is charged a fee for more than 1% contamination in each recycle dumpster. When that happens, the contents of the recycle dumpster are sent to landfill, compromising the efforts of everyone in the building who is recycling properly. Our housekeeping staff is trained to identify contaminants and will properly dispose of recycling that contains contaminants to prevent it from entering landfill. Please be mindful of guidance on recycling in your residence hall. If you have any questions or concerns about recycling, contact your EcoRep.
Is your room or suite missing a recycling bin? Request a new recycling or landfill bin for your residence hall by completing a non-emergency maintenance request.
Dining
Composting in University Housing
Composting is not available in any on-campus residence hall, but we are actively working to expand compost collection to our residence halls. In the meantime, visit the University’s Office of Sustainability’s website for a list of on-campus buildings that offer composting.
Composting in Pitt Eats’ Dining Facilities
Pitt Eats composts kitchen food waste in all dining facilities on campus. We are working to introduce public food waste and packaging composting in select dining halls. All packaging from meals prepared by Pitt Eats is either reusable or compostable, except at certain national brands. In addition to Pitt Eats’ locations, the Starbucks located in Amos Hall also composts all of their used coffee grounds.
Preventing Food Waste
All dining facilities with edible surplus food donate their food with the help of Food Recovery Heroes, a student-led group. Food Recovery Heroes began recovering surplus food across campus in 2014 and have recovered and repurposed more than 60,000 pounds of surplus food since the program began. Pitt Eats also works with 412 Food Rescue and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to maintain food recovery and identify hunger-fighting agencies that can best distribute the recovered food.
To learn more about how Pitt Eats manages food waste and donates surplus food, visit the Pitt Eats' website.
Shopping Sustainably
Zero Waste at the University Stores
The University Stores offer many products to help you incorporate zero waste habits into your daily routine – from reusable mugs, bags, and bottles to reusable food preservation options to reusable face masks.
All four University Stores strive to reduce waste throughout their daily operations. Thousands of pounds of cardboard are recycled by the Stores each year and their receiving department reuses certain non-recyclable packaging when filling online orders. Additionally, the University Store on Fifth discourages the use of single-use bags by charging 25 cents per plastic bag.
Graduation 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 in graduation regalia 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.
Surplus Property
Surplus Property repurposes, recycles, or resells furniture, appliances, vehicles, and computers that are no longer in use across campus.
Visit the Surplus Property’s website for additional information on upcoming auctions or to purchase a repurposed computer, vehicle, or piece of furniture.
To learn more about the University of Pittsburgh’s commitment to implementing zero-waste initiatives, visit the University’s Office of Sustainability’s website.