Student Reuse Project a success

The Student Reuse Project has run successfully for 4 years and encourages students, at the end of the academic year to donate items that they no longer need. These items can benefit local charities, or other students who can put them to good use – books, stationery, clothing, pots, pans, crockery etc. Throughout the summer vacation the donated items are sorted and given to the local charities to sell in their shops.  The project was managed by James Matthews, an MSc in Sustainable Development student as part of an internship offered by Campus Services.

Those items not taken by the charities are then made available to new students in the Freestuff Event in Welcome Week.  These items are all offered free of charge.  This year the event saw over 1,000 students come and take items including academic books, kitchen items, bedding, towels and fancy dress!

The local charities that the project currently works with are Devon Air Ambulance Trust, Exeter Leukaemia Fund, Children’s Hospice South West, Mind and Embercombe.  Unopened tins of food were collected during a Feed Dennis Day, part of the Students on the Move Campaign and through the Reuse Project.  These were donated to Exeter Foodbank who have been providing food for people in crisis in Exeter for over two years and have fed, on average, 176 people a month over the last year, people who without this provision would have had nothing to eat.

The Reuse Project reduces the amount sent to landfill (over 3.5 tonnes) and shows that everyone can participate.  During the year smaller events are planned, to include Swishing (a clothes swap event) and Give and Take days.  All events will be advertised on Facebook and Twitter and by Emails and posters.

Help is always greatly appreciated and if you would like to get involved in any of these projects, or have new ideas, please contact Nicola Baker 01392 725658, or your Hall Managers and Committees.  More information is also available on the opportunities page.  We hope to continue to increase these initiatives, and with your help and support we can.