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.

Building on the success of the scheme over previous years CRISP this year worked with 33 university halls of residence providing accommodation to 7,169 students from over 10 different universities located in 8 inner London Boroughs. Over the period from June to July 2009 the project collected 20.8 tonnes (20,780kgs) of unwanted goods and materials for reuse, the equivalent of 0.57 tonnes (576kgs) per Halls of residence. The students leaving at the end of the summer term donated materials such as clothes, shoes, duvets, kitchen equipment, CD's, books, furniture, household electrical items, IT equipment and non perishable foodstuffs. The vast majority of these unwanted goods and materials (82.7%) were diverted for reuse, while 14.8% was recycled with the remaining 2.5% having to be landfilled.

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:

• New Students
• Clothes Aid - Textiles charity
• Homestore
• FAST (Furniture Action South Thames) – Household goods reuse scheme
• OFFERS/Ex-IT
• Emmaus
• Red Cross refugee unit
• TRAID – Textiles charity
• Hospitals – took the crutches from the scheme.
• Southwark Refugee Council
• St Mungo’s homeless shelter
• Help for Heroes – Southwark Mayor’s charity of the year

• 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