Tackling end of term waste with ‘Give it Don’t Bin It’
As students prepare to move out this June, the University’s Environmental Sustainability team has been working closely with colleagues and partners across the city to reduce waste and encourage reuse. Part of the wider Give It Don’t Bin It campaign, run in collaboration with Manchester City Council, British Heart Foundation, Manchester Student Homes, and Manchester Metropolitan University. The work supports students to donate, recycle or responsibly dispose of their unwanted items.
Last summer, an extra 194 tonnes of waste was collected from the Fallowfield, Ladybarn and Withington areas alone. This year, we’re working to reduce that number, while continuing to support local and national charities through donation schemes.
Over two weeks in late May and early June, volunteers hosted pop-up stalls at locations across the University campus to speak directly with students about what to do with common move-out items; from kitchenware and clothes to electronics and food. Cracking Good Food also joined us on campus with large collection bins to gather unwanted kitchen items for redistribution. In addition, in June Renew Pop-ups will collect student homeware, kitchenware, and electronics, store them over summer, and then host a big jumble sale in September – helping students reuse instead of buy new.
To help cut through the noise of end-of-year communications, a simple, visual waste guide showing students where to take different items was developed. See here!
Bringing the campaign online, one of our students took over the @officialUoM Instagram to host a live Q&A with Gavin Evans from Manchester City Council. Filmed in Fallowfield, the session highlighted key drop-off locations and answered common questions about waste and donations during the Big Move Out.
To show just how much is still being incorrectly disposed of, Dale Pullin, Facilities Management and Sustainability Coordinator in Residences, emptied and dissected the contents of a 1,100-litre bin to demonstrate how much could have been recycled or donated instead.
The final chance for students to drop off their unwanted items is the last weekend of June.
By choosing to give rather than bin, students can make a real difference reducing waste, supporting charities, and helping build a more sustainable community. Together with our partners and students, we’re committed to making this year’s Big Move Out the most impactful yet.