What began as a humble "Trash to Treasure" yard sale in the early 2000s has grown into one of the U of A's most impactful sustainability campaigns.  

This spring, Leave Green, University Housing's annual Move-Out donation program, reached new heights, diverting an estimated 39.75 tons of usable items from the landfill. 

The effort, held during May, involved a total of 53 truckloads of donations collected by local nonprofit partners. Potter's House and Habitat for Humanity's ReStore picked up 29 and 24 truckloads, respectively.  Each truckload was filled with furniture, clothing, electronics and other goods left behind by students as they transitioned out of the residence halls. 

"It's incredible to see how intentional students have become," said Chuck Mayo, assistant director for projects in University Housing. "They're not just getting rid of things. They're giving them a second life." 

And in doing so, they're giving something back to the Fayetteville community and beyond. Donated items are redistributed through nonprofit storefronts and support programs, providing low- or no-cost essentials to local families, neighbors rebuilding homes and even fellow students in need. 

"It's part of our sustainability identity now," said Christopher Spencer, assistant director for marketing and strategic communications in University Housing.  

"Leave Green shows that every small act such donating a shower caddy, an old lamp or a bag of clothes can ripple outward. These items don't just stay in a bin. They find their way into homes across our region." 

From Trash Bags to Truckloads 

The program's roots stretch back to around 2001, when Housing staff launched a grassroots effort, dubbed "Trash to Treasure," to repurpose items left behind in residence halls.  

For $5, community members could buy a trash bag and fill it with leftover goods. Originally focused on small household items and clothing, the project quickly evolved. 

By the 2010s, University Housing staff members began formalizing the effort, forming partnerships with local organizations and rebranding the initiative as Leave Green—a name that reflected both the program's environmental ethos and its mission to leave a positive impact. 

Today, Leave Green is more than a donation drive. It's a cultural shift. Students now enter Move-Out week with the expectation that their old belongings can do good and that they, even in the chaos of finals and packing, can still support their community on the way out. 

A Greener Future Ahead 

The campaign's success is also measured in what it prevents: thousands of pounds of waste are no longer sent to landfills. In addition to supporting Potter's House and Habitat ReStore, Move-Out donations often benefit students in crisis through campus programs like the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry. A partnership between the food pantry and University Housing resulted in students donating 5,854 food items to the food pantry during Move-Out.

As the initiative continues to grow, Housing is already looking toward the next frontier. Arrive Green is a companion idea aimed at encouraging incoming students to shop secondhand and begin their campus journey with sustainability in mind.

Conversations are happening this summer between University Housing and the Office for Sustainability to look at what such an effort could mean to students coming back to campus. Perhaps a return to the yard sale origins of the program.

"Leave Green is about what we leave behind," Spencer said. "Arrive Green is about how we show up and how we keep that spirit of giving going from the first day to the last."