As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, University of Delaware Information Technologies (UDIT) is introducing the Digital Spring Cleanup Challenge—a three-day initiative aimed at reducing digital clutter and minimizing the University’s carbon footprint.

Starting April 1, UD students, faculty and staff are encouraged to take simple yet impactful steps: delete unnecessary files, clear out old emails and remove unused apps. These actions help reduce the data stored on cloud servers, which can significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced.

Studies show that up to 90% of stored data is never accessed after three months, yet it continues to take up valuable digital space. With Google and Microsoft discontinuing unlimited storage, now is the perfect time for the UD community to rethink data management.

The Digital Spring Cleanup Challenge includes daily tasks such as:

• Decluttering personal storage on computers and cloud platforms
• Unsubscribing from unread emails to cut down on inbox overload
• Optimizing smartphones by deleting unused apps and old content

At the end of the challenge, participants will have the opportunity to report how much storage they cleared through a brief survey.

For more details—including step-by-step guides on checking storage usage and removing unnecessary data—visit the Digital Spring Cleanup Challenge website.