Expanded university partnership makes donating unwanted items to charity easier for students in private rentals

Students in private accommodation can now benefit from an initiative aimed at reducing waste by making it easier to donate their unwanted items to charity at the end of their tenancies.

In its fifth year, the Brighton Reuse project has until now only been open to students in University of Brighton halls of residence. The new pilot, run in collaboration with the British Heart Foundation (BHF), will allow students living off campus in the Moulsecoomb and Bevendean areas to contribute as well.

Last year, University of Brighton students donated 336 bags of clothes and household items helping to raise £4,704 for life saving cancer research. This year, the street collection trial will take place throughout the summer, from June to September, over six roads in the Moulsecoomb and Bevendean area.

Izzy White, Sustainability Projects Officer at the University of Brighton, said: “We have seen success with the Reuse Project in our halls of residence but recognise it is harder for our students living in the local community to responsibly donate and dispose of their items when moving out.

Brighton Reuse team with donated items

“The street collection pilot aims to make it easy for students to ensure their items are rehomed, reused and not discarded, reducing their impact on the environment and raising money for the British Heart Foundation.”

Izzy added: “The trial phase of the street collections scheme has an initial target of 660 students with a long-term goal of expanding to other areas of Brighton and to other universities across the country if successful.”

Eligible items for donation include clean kitchenware, clean clothes, shoes, accessories, books and stationery, and small working electricals.

The six new collection points are the Highway, the Avenue, Hillside, Widdicombe Way, Upper Bevendean Avenue and Lower Bevendean Avenue.

Students are invited to leave their unwanted items in bags outside their homes by 10 AM on the following dates for BHF collection:

• Monday 17 June
• Monday 1 July
• Monday 15 July
• Monday 29 July
• Monday 12 August
• Monday 2 September

Items that are not suitable for donation include sharp knives, pillows, duvets, bedding, cushions, broken or dirty items, open fresh food, out-of-date food, and general waste. Larger items, such as furniture, can be donated by arranging a separate collection with the BHF.

This initiative represents a significant step in the university’s commitment to sustainability and community involvement.