Trash2Treasure at Northeastern University

What Trash2Treasure at Northeastern University does

Trash2Treasure at Northeastern University is a student-run sustainability organization operating on a closed-loop circular economy model. Founded in 2008 (originally as Dump and Run) and based at 360 Huntington Ave in Boston, the organization collects unwanted items from students during semester move-out weeks via large on-campus bins and resells those items at low prices (mostly under $10) during bi-annual sale events at the start of each semester. Accepted categories span electronics, appliances, clothing, furniture, kitchen supplies, school supplies, and non-perishable food; textiles are routed to recycling partner Helpsy, while food donations support NU Mutual Aid's Community Fridge.

The organization runs three interconnected programs: Collection (twice yearly, in December and April/May), Sale (twice yearly, in January and September, e.g., the Winter 2023 Sale at Raytheon Amphitheater), and year-round Sustainable Programming (thrift trips, upcycling DIYs, trivia, planter upcycling). Student organizations provide volunteer labor at events and earn a minimum guarantee of $10 per volunteer hour from sale proceeds, distributed via Northeastern SABO accounts. There is no proprietary technology platform — operations run on Google Sites, Mailchimp email, Slack coordination, and organic social channels (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).

The business model is non-revenue-retaining by design: gross sale proceeds are redistributed to participating student organizations rather than retained as operating income. The organization has no parent company, no external investors, and no formal legal entity registration beyond its status as a Northeastern University student club. It sustains operations through university grants (initial funding came from the Center for Community Service), in-kind storage support, and partnership donations, with the inaugural 2008 sale generating $3,000 that was donated to Alternatives for Community and Environment. The organization self-describes as running Northeastern's largest secondhand sale.

Name

Trash2Treasure at Northeastern University

Legal name

Trash2Treasure at Northeastern University

Website

https://nut2t.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Trash2Treasure is a student-run sustainability organization at Northeastern University that operates a circular economy model, collecting unwanted items during move-out weeks and reselling them at bi-annual on-campus sale events, with proceeds distributed to volunteering student organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Campus Sustainability and Secondhand Resale Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Other Waste Collection (562119)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Product Take-Back & Reverse Logistics Programs (EUAIANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Donation, Resale & Disposal Coordination (HSAFAAAK), Donation, Reuse & Sustainability Returns Programs (TLAIAHAJ)

Keywords

• Campus sustainability programs
• Secondhand goods resale
• Student volunteer fundraising
• Circular economy initiatives
• Textile recycling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Secondhand Item Sales: Profits from selling donated secondhand items at low prices during bi-annual Sale events. Proceeds are distributed amongst volunteering student organizations based on volunteer hours contributed.
2. Student Organization Fundraising: Student organizations earn money through volunteer hours during Collection and Sale events. Minimum guarantee of $10 per volunteer hour, with actual amount determined by sale profitability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Trash2Treasure is a student-run circular economy initiative at Northeastern University that collects unwanted items from students during bi-annual move-out Collections (December and April/May), resells those donated items at low prices (most items below $10) during bi-annual Sales (January and September), and runs year-round Sustainable Programming (e.g., thrift trips, upcycling DIYs, trivia). Proceeds from Sales are distributed to volunteering student organizations, and unusable items are donated to partners such as NU Mutual Aid and Helpsy for textile recycling.

Product overview

Trash2Treasure operates as a student-run circular economy initiative at Northeastern University, consisting of three interconnected programs: Collection, Sale, and Sustainable Programming. Collection gathers unwanted items from students during move-out weeks; Sale resells these donated items at low prices at the start of each semester; and Sustainable Programming provides year-round education on sustainability topics. The model creates a closed-loop system where waste is reduced and items are given new life, with proceeds distributed to volunteering student organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Collection Bi-annual donation program where Northeastern University students drop unwanted items (electronics, appliances, clothing, furniture, kitchen supplies, school supplies, and non-perishable food) into large red bins during move-out week instead of sending them to the trash. Winter Collection takes place in December and Spring Collection takes place in April/May. Items are then prepared for resale at Sale events or donated to partner organizations.
• Sale Bi-annual secondhand shopping event held at Northeastern University venues (e.g., Raytheon Amphitheater) at the start of each semester, where donated items from Collection are sold to students at low prices (most items below $10, e.g., books at $1, floor lamps at $6). The Spring Sale takes place in January and the Fall Sale in September. Profits are distributed among volunteering student organizations through Northeastern SABO accounts based on volunteer hours contributed. Payment methods include cash (preferred), Husky Dollars (not dining dollars), and credit card as a last resort.
• Sustainable Programming Year-round sustainability education program for the Northeastern University community covering sustainable living through events such as thrift trips, upcycling DIYs, planter upcycling, vinyl and CD painting, trivia, and decorating suncatchers. Programs run alongside bi-weekly club meetings, Instagram announcements, and the Mailchimp e-list.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced campus waste through donated items instead of landfill disposal

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Door to DoorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated storage services to store collected items after spring move-out week in 2008. Enabled the organization to hold items between collection and sale.
• HelpsycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTextile recycler partner that enables Trash2Treasure to accept and recycle sheets and other textiles. Clean textiles are washed, bagged, and sent to Helpsy for proper recycling.
• NU Mutual AidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent-run organization partnered to donate collected non-perishable food items to their Community Fridge located on St. Stephens Street in Boston.
• Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE)minorOthersFirst sale donated $3,000 to this environmental justice organization in Boston working to alleviate unfair environmental burdens felt by low income communities and communities of color.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Buy Nothing Project: Hyperlocal community reuse network built on gifting rather than resale. Comparable as a community-driven circular economy model that keeps unwanted goods out of landfill, though it operates digitally and for free rather than via paid sale events.

Others

• Helpsy: Textile recycler that is itself a core T2T partner, enabling clothing and textile donations to be processed responsibly. Comparable as an upstream circular-economy infrastructure provider in T2T's value chain.
• Planet Aid: National nonprofit operating clothing donation bins and reuse/recycling programs. Comparable as a bulky-item and textile collection infrastructure provider that competes for the same donation streams T2T captures on campus.

Broad incumbents

• thredUP: Large online resale marketplace for secondhand clothing and household goods. Comparable on the resale side of T2T's model, especially for clothing/textile items donated during move-out, but operates at national e-commerce scale rather than local event-based sales.
• Salvation Army: National nonprofit running donation pickup programs and family thrift stores, including campus move-out donation drives. Comparable on the donation/resale loop but operates as a broad social services organization rather than a student-led club.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Reuse retail network operated by Habitat for Humanity, reselling donated furniture, appliances, and home goods. Comparable on the reuse-and-resale model for bulky household items, including those T2T accepts during move-out.
• Goodwill Industries International: Large national nonprofit that runs university move-out donation partnerships and operates secondhand retail at scale. Overlaps with T2T on donation intake and resale, but at a much broader geographic and operational scope.

Direct peers

• College MOVE-OUT: National initiative coordinating end-of-year donation collection at college campuses, partnering with nonprofits to divert move-out waste. Directly comparable in mission, audience (college students), and event-based collection/resale model.
• Stuff You Can Use (SUCU): University of Virginia's student-run move-out donation and resale program. Closely comparable as a student-led, campus-embedded circular economy initiative with similar collection and low-priced sale mechanics.
• Dump and Run: The original national student move-out reuse program that Trash2Treasure was directly modeled after when it launched as 'Dump and Run' at Northeastern in 2008. Operates the same donation-and-resale event model across multiple campuses.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nut2t
• Facebookfacebook.com/nu.t2t
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nutrash2treasure
• Instagraminstagram.com/nu_t2t

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trash2Treasure at Northeastern University