University Halls of Residence Reuse and Recycling Scheme

Halls of Residence Reuse and Recycling - developed from the successful CRISP/GLA London University Halls of Residence Recycling Project funded by the London Recycling Fund worked with halls of residence in 24 universities across 22 Boroughs housing 40,000 students, and won the National Recycling Awards Best Partnership Project in 2006 and established long lasting collaborations between Higher Education Institutions and local authorities for recycling provision and communication. The project aims to promote and encourage the establishment and development of waste minimisation, reuse and recycling within multiple dwelling residences, such as Halls of Residence and other Housing Association Residences, making a significant contribution towards the reduction of domestic waste. Interest has been expressed in replicating the project across the UK.

The CRISP Halls of Residence Reuse Scheme has once again worked with the management, staff and students living in halls of residence across London, helping them to donate their unwanted goods and materials encouraging reuse and recycling and preventing valuable resources from being sent to landfill at the end of term. 

Every year CRISP runs the University Halls of Residence Reuse Scheme to help ensure that unwanted goods and items left behind by vacating students could be donated for reuse and/or recycling thereby preventing valuable resources from being sent to landfill and ensuring the maximum social, environmental and economic benefit from reuse. This summer CRISP worked with 11 universities and over 70 Halls of Residence providing accommodation to 20,633 students.  The project covered 12 London Boroughs and the Borough of Guildford in Surrey. Over 35.9 tonnes of unwanted goods were collected of which 83.0% was reused and 11.4% recycled, leaving only 5.6% having to be sent to landfill. The goods collected; included textile, shoes, duvets kitchen equipment, books, CDs, furniture, household electrical items, IT equipment and non perishable foodstuff; were distributed to socially disadvantaged members of the community through homeless charities, charity shops and members of the London Re-Use Network.

The 35.9 tonnes collected for reuse also represented a saving of 414 of CO2(e) the equivalent of 20.1kgs per student, or over 400 return air flights from London to New York.

As well as the environmental benefits of diverting valuable resources from landfill and helping to reduce the environmental impact of the halls and their student residents, the project continues to deliver wider reaching social benefits. Many of the items collected were distributed to socially disadvantaged members of the community through homeless charities, charity shops and using the reuse network established in London including LCRN and OFFERS/Ex-IT. The table below outlines some of the numerous reuse outlets benefiting from the project:

1. Clothes Aid - Textiles charity
2. Emmaus
3. TRAID – Textiles charity
4. Hospitals – took the crutches from the scheme
5. St Mungo’s homeless shelter

As well as providing a viable management option replacing the disposal of unwanted goods and materials left by departing students, the project also continues to play an important part in reinforcing the better sustainable management practices by university halls of residences including waste minimisation and recycling initiatives.

The Halls of Residence Reuse Scheme

• Provides integrated solution to the collection of all items for Reuse, Recycling or Disposal - one off collection or staged collections to suit Halls management.
• In full compliance with the Environment Agency Licences and the WEEE Directive
• Fully monitored and reported - full audit trail for all waste collected
• Builds on other general Waste minimisation and Recycling initiatives
• Provides opportunities for positive links with Local Authority, GLA, HEFCE, local and wider community
• Supports University and Halls Sustainability and Environmental Policies and demonstrates Corporate Social Responsibility
• Positive impact on internal management of the Halls of Residence - helps to build relations between halls management and students
• The project is able to demonstrate direct benefit of Reuse to the Charitable Sector

To read the full report see http://www.office-furniture-it.crispej.org.uk/project_news.htm

For more information contact Dr Richard Anderson richard@crispej.org.uk or visit www.crispej.org.uk

Halls of Residence Food Waste Recycling Pilot Project -

In 2008 CRISP was asked by Islington Council to undertake a pilot project in waste collection andrecycling for halls of residences within the borough.  The London Borough of Islington has 13 university halls of residence accommodating 3,385 students and therefore a food waste collection service could potentially make a significant impact and also help to augment existing waste minimisation reuse and recycling

initiatives within the halls.

The aim of the project was to test the introduction of a Food Waste Recycle Scheme in Rosebery Avenue Hall of Residence and to monitor and evaluate its applicability for replication to all other Halls of Residence in the Borough.  The pilot project ran for a 6 month period from July to December 2008 and proved to be highly successful and enthusiastically received by both staff and students and has been incorporated into the general waste management of the Halls of Residence.  The estimated food waste diverted by the scheme at Rosebery Avenue Halls is 21.84 tonnes / year (or

69.12 kg / bedspace).

For more details contact richard@crispej.org.uk