The scheme encourages students to donate unwanted items left behind in university halls of residence.
Between May and September 2024, students in Penryn and Exeter donated 4,675 bags of unwanted items – equating to 37.36 tonnes.
Between its start in 2014 and 2022, this scheme has seen over £300,000 raised for charity and over 1,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent diverted from landfill.
The partnership has donation points installed within the halls of residence and has also sent up collection banks on the campus itself. All donation points can be accessed throughout the year.
The donations are then sold within BHF stores which also offer volunteering opportunities to students.
Tim Reeves, university account executive at BHF, said: “We are really grateful for the continuing support at Exeter University and the number of bags donated last year exceeded all our expectations. Each year, using these donations, BHF shops and stores raise millions to help the BHF fund lifesaving research into heart and circulatory diseases, and we couldn’t do this without the continued support of students, like those in Exeter.”
Nigel Morris, sustainability manager for the circular economy at the University of Exeter, added: “To still be breaking records after a decade of partnership is an amazing result and announcing this performance in the year our Circular Economy & Sustainable Resource Management Strategy 2030 is published is particularly encouraging for the future.
“Our Moving On project now sits alongside other internal gifting initiatives so I want to thank our students for their incredible levels of support and engagement. By further aligning our behaviours to the principles of the circular economy and driving sustainable change, the University is able to support those in need, contributing to the funding of vital research, whilst assisting our drive for the reduction in waste and working towards our journey to environmental net gain and net zero.”
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