Reuse Programs

U-Haul is committed to reuse via several programs such as adaptive reuse of buildings, our Take A Box, Leave A Box program, storage Re-Use centers, sustainable modular storage and our Patriot Truck Leasing program, to repurpose existing materials. In return, this lessens our community and landfill waste, avoids the GHG emissions associated with transporting waste to landfills and enhances environmental quality in the communities we serve.      

Adaptive reuse refers to renovating and reusing pre-existing buildings for new purposes. Building conversions through adaptive reuse allow U-Haul to promote infill development to meet citizens' needs while preserving the natural resources and land normally required for new construction. The primary goal for U-Haul is to reuse and recycle as much material as feasible, while installing as many new sustainable design features as possible. The video below highlights U-Haul adaptive reuse in Detroit, Michigan: 

U-Haul created the Take A Box, Leave A Box Program to encourage customers to pick up free used boxes, and then leave no-longer needed used boxes for other customers. With every reuse of a box, a new box is kept from entering the cycle, thus reducing energy and resource consumption during manufacturing. Nearly one million boxes are reused each year through this program.

Re-Use Centers are located in many U-Haul storage facilities, developed to provide a redistribution network for gently used household goods and materials, furniture, sports equipment, bikes and clothing that were formerly destined for landfills.  These Re-Use Centers are helping cities across North America move towards their Zero Waste goals.

Sustainable Modular Storage is an innovative program exclusive to U-Haul. The program reuses detached van bodies from retired U-Haul trucks to build sustainably engineered self-storage units. Sustainable self-storage, constructed from reused materials, protects resources and reduces energy usage needed to manufacture new construction materials of concrete, wood, steel and plastics.                      

Patriot Truck Leasing provides businesses the opportunity to maximize their advertising visibility while minimizing their environmental impact. Patriot re-uses and recycles its inventory of trucks to provide several functions for businesses (e.g. marketing, storage, inventory transportation). By parking a custom-designed Patriot truck onsite, businesses avoid the environmental impacts of new-signage construction (resource usage of steel, wood, petroleum). Each truck is allowed a certain mileage allotment which reminds businesses to plan trips wisely before releasing additional vehicle-travel emissions into the environment.