Leave Green Program Nets 54 Percent Increase in Move-Out Items Diverted from Landfill

University Housing encourages residential students to "Leave Green" by donating items when they move out of residence halls. Each year, tons of donated items are diverted from the landfill to local agencies that repurpose and reuse these items. 

This May, about 166 tons were donated by students as they left campus during move-out. That number is up from 108 tons a year earlier. This year, the number of donated items amounted to 100 pounds per residential student. 

This year, University Housing partnered with St. James Missionary Baptist Church and Oasis of Northwest Arkansas. Those agencies drove around the residential halls in early May and picked up the donated items from designated locations. 

"The Leave Green program is a fantastic way to reduce waste and help our community. Giving a gently used item a second life essentially cuts its environmental footprint in half," said Eric Boles, director of the Office for Sustainability. 

University Housing opens an application each February for community agencies that want to participate in the Leave Green program in May.  

About University Housing: University Housing is a department within the Division of Student Affairs serving a residential community of around 6,200 on-campus students. More than 200 students find employment opportunities with University Housing each year. We offer educational programs that support the success of students and services that help students focus on academics at the University of Arkansas. Living on campus starts with a housing contract.