Sustainability

In line with The University's goals, we also aim at advancing Sustainability on Campus, and we start right in our Residence Halls! We are so proud of what we have achieved so far:

• 341 tons of material diverted from landfills with our "Dont' Ditch It! Dontate It!" initiative!
• 1.37 tons successfully composted with our "Residence Hall Composting" initiative!
• 15 tons of cardboard recycled during move-in with our "Cardboard Recycling" program!

Getting To Zero

Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. To learn more on how you can do your part, join our partner, Sustainable Carolina.

Don't Ditch it, Donate it!

Each spring, Carolina Housing partners with the UNC Office of Waste Reduction & Recycling to make it easy for you to donate your unwanted but still usable items. Through the "Don't Ditch It, Donate It!" program, UNC has saved over 357 tons of unwanted items from entering local landfills.

By making a conscious choice about how you'll handle your unwanted items at move-out, you become part of a campus-wide initiative to do the right thing and effect dramatic positive change.

Why should I donate?

Donate for sustainability – With 7,500 students moving out in the same week, it doesn't take long to accumulate a massive amount of waste. Keeping usable and recyclable goods out of the landfill is one of the most influential things you can do to extend the town's ability to sustain the University.

Donate for the community – Your gently used items provide local residents with access to quality goods at a low cost.

Donate for local charities – By reselling the items you donate, even at deeply discounted prices, our partnering charitable organizations can generate revenue that helps them accomplish their goals and provide essential services.

How do I donate?

Housing staff partners with the UNC Office of Waste Reduction & Recycling to make the donation process as simple as possible. Attended donation stations will be set up in your residential community—all you have to do is watch the schedule for collection times and drop your items off at your convenience.

Collection Locations:

When can I donate?

All donation stations will open a couple of weeks before final exams, usually in late April. These stations remain available through the move-out period in mid-May. Specific dates vary from year to year so keep an eye out for our "Don't Ditch It, Donate It!" signage.

What can I donate?

We will accept all still-usable items such as clothes, books, appliances, athletic equipment, bedding, cleaning supplies, household items, unopened toiletries, unopened food, school supplies, electronics, computer equipment, and furniture that is not broken. Bring these items to the donation station in your community.

Carpets are accepted in any condition. If they can't be reused, they get recycled. Please take carpet to the donation station in your community. It's important to keep the carpet dry for the recycling process, so please don't stick it outside in the rain!

Futon frames are accepted even if they are not usable. Please take these items outside, beside the dumpster in an area labeled "bulky waste."

REMEMBER: When in doubt, put it in the donation station! We would rather have to sort items on our end than have valuable items get thrown away because you didn't think they could be reused. 

What happens to my donations?

Donations will be separated and picked up by the following charitable organizations:

TROSA is an innovative, multi-year residential program that enables substance abusers to be productive, recovering individuals by providing comprehensive treatment, work-based vocational training, education, and continuing care. 

Carolina Thrift is a community-oriented sustainability initiative that works to reduce needless waste in Chapel Hill. The project’s purpose is to extend the lifespan of items that are usually disposed of by conducting collections of used items at the end of the school year and hosting a large-scale discount sale in August. 

Carolina Cupboard is an on-campus food pantry that provides food and toiletry items at no cost to Carolina students who are facing food insecurity or who are simply in need.

Sustainability Campus Partners

• Sustainable Carolina
• Office of Waste Reduction & Campus Recycling
• Carolina Thrift
• Carolina Community Garden
• Edible Campus