Illinois State University
ER-2: Student Sustainability Outreach Campaign

During Spring move-out, local furniture reclamation charities come to campus and recover furniture that would normally have been put in dumpsters. This campaign utilizes the combined efforts of students, faculty and staff of the university, along with non-profit organizations in the community. There are two main focuses of this campaign; the reduction of waste going to the landfill, and the education of students on the importance of reducing landfill waste and increasing the amount of reused material.

This campaign has been in place for the last two years with this upcoming year being its third year. Each year we have seen an increase in the amount of furniture recovered and donated, an increase in participants, and an increase in the number of sites that collect the furniture. During its first year the campaign only involved one site on campus and it produced limited results. By its second year in existence, the campaign included four on-campus sites and a 200% increase in volunteers. Now going into its third year, the campaign is reaching out to professors and classes to create hands on projects for students to gain valuable experience in social media and educational program outreach. By working with the Office of Sustainability, these students and professors will create effective social marketing plans that emphasize the educational aspect of this campaign. At the end of the semester the best marketing strategies will be implemented into the furniture recovery campaign.