Reuse scheme in UCL halls saves over a tonne of waste

We are thrilled to share the success of this year’s reuse scheme across 20 halls which has achieved over double the impact of last year’s pilot. During the summer move-out period, students donated over 1,100kg of unwanted items, from clothes and kitchenware to bedding and electronics.  

Thanks to your collective efforts, these items were distributed to incoming students or donated to charity, giving them a second life. This has saved over an estimated 5,776 kgCO2e, equivalent to planting nearly 100 trees!* These savings come from avoiding the carbon impacts of both waste disposal and the manufacturing and distribution of new products.  

This initiative supports the Loop, a headline campaign in UCL’s Sustainability Plan, which aims to tackle unsustainable consumption. By encouraging reuse, we are building a circular economy on campus, helping students cut down on cost and waste. 

From donations to new life  

The scheme is an exemplary collaboration between UCL Accommodation, Sustainability, Soft Services, Researchers, and Student Sustainability Ambassadors demonstrating how collective action can reduce waste, save money for students, and extend the life of everyday items. Over the summer, donations were inventoried and sorted, allowing us to measure the impact of the scheme, and ensuring every item reused was ready for redistribution. 

Professor of Materials and Society and author of New York Times Bestseller Stuff Matters Mark Miodownik, highlighted the value of this contribution: 

"We were so glad that UCL Accommodation and UCL Sustainability were open to this collaboration with us at the UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub. We have contributed research insights, analysis and practical sorting skills to help UCL become more sustainable by wasting less stuff.” 

Clothes, kitchenware, and bedding were then redistributed at the Reuse & Relove event at 109 Camden Road, organised by the Accommodation team. Remaining goods were passed on to charity, or reused within UCL, keeping resources in circulation and minimising waste. Damaged or unsuitable items were sent for energy recovery.  

Building a culture of responsible consumption  

Beyond the numbers, the reuse scheme is about creating a culture where students see reuse as part of their everyday life. By making it part of the student journey – from moving out to moving in – it shows how individual everyday actions can create great impact.  

We are already looking forward to building on this success this academic year, with even more students getting together to make the reuse scheme bigger, better, and more impactful than ever.  

Stay in the loop

Your actions made this success possible – and there are plenty more ways you can make a difference. 
 
Follow @SustainableUCL on Instagram and sign up to the Sustainable UCL student newsletter for the latest updates and opportunities to get involved in sustainability initiatives across campus.  

For hall-specific updates, follow @UCLAccommodation on Instagram. Residents will also receive a weekly accommodation newsletter with information about upcoming sustainability initiatives and events.  

*On average, one tree can consume approximately 60kg of CO2 from the atmosphere.