Post-Landfill Action Network

In 2011, a group of undergraduates at the University of New Hampshire noticed dumpsters overflowing with reusable materials after spring move-out. Then, in the fall, they watched as students moving back to campus bought many of the same items new at big box stores. To end this cycle of waste, the students created a program called Trash 2 Treasure. They collected useable items discarded by students in the spring, cleaned and organized those items over the summer, and sold them to students moving back to campus in the fall. The first Trash 2 Treasure sale was a huge success, earning more than it cost to operate – creating the country’s first student-run, self-sustaining program of its kind. In the three years since then, Trash 2 Treasure has diverted over 100 tons of waste from local landfills, donated over five tons of food and clothing to local shelters, and saved students and their families thousands of dollars on back-to-school shopping.