The Center for Sustainability manages several programs and events to develop a culture of sharing, repairing, and reusing goods and/or services on campus. Circular economy programs that facilitate waste diversion include but are not limited to Bronco Surplus, the Share Shelf, the Lending Library, and Swap for Good. Check out our offerings.
Year-round Circularity Programs
- Bucky's Closet
SCU's student-run on-campus FREE thrift store serves students, staff, and faculty by repurposing second-hand clothing, shoes, accessories, school supplies, and other small items. By reusing resources, we are building a more efficient community, diverting unnecessary waste from landfills, reducing emissions, and saving money.
- Personal Compost Pails
In partnership with the Housing Office, the Center for Sustainability offers a free, year-rental compost pail program for campus residents to compost food scraps within their own rooms.
- Buy Nothing Santa Clara University
A Facebook group for all Santa Clara University students, faculty, and staff to give, share, borrow, and claim free items or services.
- Lending Library
The SCU Lending Library is an online site for SCU employees to borrow items shared by other departments. Have a lamination machine you don't often use? Let others borrow it! Need to decorate for an 80's themed event? See if others have decorations you can borrow.
- Share Shelves
The Supplies Share Shelf serves as a site for students, faculty, and staff to donate and acquire lightly used office and school supplies for free. Our Maternity Share Shelf for expectant parents offers recirculation of clothing and additional baby-related items.
- Terracycle
A site for collection and recycling items that are otherwise difficult to recycle or dispose of. TerraCycle diverts used products from the landfill through upcycling. The Malley Fitness and Recreation Center and the Center for Sustainability hold collection bins for printer toner cartridges, CD/DVDs, plastic film, batteries, Tom's of Maine, Brita filters, and personal care toiletry containers.
Annual Circularity Events
- EcoFashion Show
Spring Quarter
Sustainability hits the runaway at our annual event showcasing designs made by the SCU community using upcycled clothing or waste materials. This night of glamour, music, and creativity offers a viable alternative to fast fashion, and features speakers from the sustainable fashion industry.
- Maker Nights
Winter & Spring Quarter
Maker Night workshops allow prospective EcoFashion Show designers and sustainable crafters to learn new techniques to create, mend or upcycle clothing items, or get help with sketches or design inspiration.
- Zero Waste Move Out
Early June
On-campus residents place reusable donations and clothing into big containers, located in their residence hall lobbies, for Hope Services or Bronco Surplus. Residents are also encouraged to place all other items in designated areas around campus, such as e-waste, food, or carpets, to divert waste from the landfill.
- Bronco Surplus
Early September, during Welcome Weekend and the Get Connected Resource Fair
Bronco Surplus is a free pop-up shop in September that offers secondhand room supplies and decor to students. All available items were donated by students during the zero-waste move-out event at the end of the previous school year.