Trash 2 Treasure is a campus waste reduction program at the University of New Hampshire and the first of its kind in the United States. When college students leave campus at the end of the school year, they often have all kinds of items, from furniture to clothing and other household items they need to get rid of. At the end of the summer, a group of students organized a collection of these items and held an enormous yard sale. The self-sustaining program was so successful it raised over $30,000 in its first three years.
Now those same students have started their own non-profit organization called the Post-Landfill Action Network. Headed up by Alex Fried, a recent UNH grad, PLAN is doing an Indiegogo campaign in an effort to facilitate nation-wide campus waste reduction programs and eventually make campus waste of this nature obsolete. According to Fried, American universities create millions of tons of waste each year, which end up in landfills.
Garbage Reducing Non-Profits
UNH’s Campus Waste Reduction Program is Going Nation-Wide
Trend Themes
1. Campus Waste Reduction Programs - Opportunity for universities to implement similar programs to reduce waste and promote sustainability on campus.
2. Non-profit Organizations for Waste Reduction - Chance for the development of more non-profit organizations focused on reducing waste and fostering environmental consciousness.
3. Crowdfunding Campaigns for Sustainability - Potential for the use of crowdfunding platforms to support initiatives that aim to reduce waste and promote a sustainable environment.
Industry Implications
1. Education - Opportunity for educational institutions to prioritize waste reduction and sustainability efforts.
2. Environmental Services - Growth potential for companies specializing in waste management and recycling services.
3. Non-profit Sector - Expansion possibility for non-profit organizations focused on environmental causes and waste reduction.