Bristol and Bath Universities help students combat move out waste

Universities are helping students combat their moving out waste by offering thousands of donated items to freshers.

Every year, thousands of items get left behind by departing students but universities in Bath and Bristol have started recycle and reuse schemes.

University of Bristol Student's Union is running Take a Plate events where freshers can pick up free kitchenware.

"It's been so successful," said Izzy Russell, a student living officer.

"We want this to be rolled out nationwide and the schemes to be integrated into the way universities work."

Take a Plate has seen more than 1000 items donated by departing students in June which has helped about 250 new students save money on buying kitchenware this term.

These are items that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill, despite being in good condition.

Eliott Marceau is an international student at the University of Bristol who only spent four months in university accommodation this year.

"I feel bad when I buy loads of things and use them for a short amount of time," Mr Marceau said.

"I don't know what to do with it after, so this scheme is really great."

The University of Bath has partnered up with the local Share and Repair shop.

After being tested to check they are safe, hundreds of left-behind electrical goods are resold to new students arriving in the city.

Lorna Montgomery, founder of Share and Repair, said: "Young people are the future, we want them to take on this mantle of repair and repurpose.

"Hopefully we will see more students get involved over time."

Third year student Joseph Bailey-Wood came into the shop to buy a rice cooker.

"There are a lot of businesses who talk the talk but don't walk the walk so it feels really good to have something in the city that is dedicated to repairing and repurposing," he said.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]