Thriftsburgh, the Student Office of Sustainability and Food Recovery Heroes began in classrooms and clubs 10 years ago. Today, they are foundational sustainability organizations.
Photo courtesy of Chelsea Huddleston. The SOOS Green Team, including Young Grgurus (A&S ’19), left, and William Kerr (A&S ’19), collects waste at the Chancellor’s Picnic in August 2017.
Nearly 11 years ago, the Office of the Provost announced its first Year of … at Pitt — the 2014-15 academic year would be the the Year of Sustainability.
Over the next year, Pitt established several lasting green initiatives, including the University-wide expansion of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation’s academic and research programs, the creation of a Faculty Sustainability Task Force and the launch of the first Pitt Sustainability Awards. Growing enthusiasm and increased funding also accelerated momentum for student-led environmental projects.
It was during this time that three student-led sustainability initiatives took shape in response to pressing concerns about clothing waste and affordability, food waste and insecurity and student sustainability effort coordination: the University of Thriftsburgh, Food Recovery Heroes and the Student Office of Sustainability. Today, all three efforts are cornerstones of Pitt’s sustainability infrastructure.
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