In Pennsylvania, it鈥檚 illegal to put electronics in the trash, in part because e-waste in landfills leach toxic heavy metals like lithium, mercury and lead into groundwater and soil, negatively impacting personal and environmental health. That鈥檚 where Pitt Surplus, the department responsible for collecting, repurposing and recycling discarded materials, comes in.
In fiscal year 2026, Pitt Surplus diverted more than 31 tons of e-waste from landfills. That success brings the University a step closer to reaching its goal of reducing landfill waste 25% from 2017 levels by 2030.
Sustainability is a University-wide value, said Karl Zellars, manager of surplus inventory in Business, Hospitality and Auxiliary Services. 鈥淧eople want to know that the organizations they are a part of, that they support, care about the environment,鈥� he said.