West Philly campus move-out is a mess. Drexel, Penn and Rego are teaming up to fix it.

Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania and waste management startup Rego joined forces for a new, high-tech way to help reduce move-out trash — and give back to the community in the process.

At the end of each spring semester, college students in University City (and elsewhere in Philadelphia) leave unwanted furniture, clothing and electronics on the side of the road to go to the landfill. But these items could instead go to families in need, said Joshua Mastromatto, Rego’s founder and CEO.

After testing out the platform earlier this year, university admin saw more students donating their items to be reused, rather than throwing them out or leaving them on the curb, according to Nina Morris, sustainability director at Penn.   

“We want to make sure that our community members understand that these materials are going to good places,” Morris said.

Rego has been working in University City since 2020 to help with off-campus move-outs, partnering with property management companies like Campus Apartments and individual apartment buildings. 

The platform allows students to select items they want to get rid of, with a list that includes everything from couches to board games. Students add photos of the items they want to donate and schedule a date and time with the school’s nonprofit partner to come pick them up. For Penn, that partner is the Philadelphia Furniture Bank. For Drexel, it’s Habitat for Humanity ReStore. 

Rego pre-evaluates each item, noting which are in good condition, Mastromatto said. This speeds up the process for the nonprofit to decide what it wants and design its pickup routes. 

Universities use the data to make future decisions 

Admin like Morris have a separate view of the platform where they can see data about the orders being placed. Details like location, what kind of items are being given away and what times they schedule for pickup, will help the school refine its program for the future, she said. 

For example, a lot of students are trying to get rid of mattresses, but they’re often not in good shape for donation. The move-out data helps the school think of other ways they can recycle them, she said. 

The platform also tracks what types of materials are being reused and how much waste was diverted from the landfill, according to Mastromatto. 670 items were picked up from Penn students this year, an estimated 14,000 pounds of materials. 18 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions were avoided, according to Penn.

Rego just wrapped up its summer move-out program with Drexel, too, although the university declined to comment. 

Doing the right thing, made easier

The high concentration of college students in University City means the neighborhood faces unique challenges during moveout, Mastromatto said. There’s a tight deadline to move, no local storage space and not a lot of space for trucks, exacerbating the issue of unwanted items left on the street. 

If given the option, students largely want to donate their items, rather than having to throw them out, said Scott Filkin, director of the Office of Social Equity and Community at Penn. But it depends on how easy the process is. 

“Moving out is hard, and when the system is set up in such a way that it can work effectively, students do so,” Filkin said. “It feels like it’s a really great way for us to be better neighbors to our direct and immediate community.” 

Last year, the university’s move-out program had two components. Students could drop off donations at a local church and a student organization organized a donation pick-up day. Students filled out a Google form to schedule curbside pickup, but the program only received 13 requests. This year, after implementing Rego, the school got 150 requests for donation pickup.

Plus, there were fewer complaints from residents in the neighborhood about trash and furniture on the side of the road. 

“Clearly,” Filkin said, “having an easier system improved the quantity of interest.”