- In the most successful Free Shop to date, over 4,000 pieces of kitchenware and items of clothing were given out to almost 400 new students
- Since the first free shop in September 2013, over 4,000 students have benefited from the scheme and over 32,000 items have been donated by departing students and reused
- The scheme aims to reduce waste and minimise impacts on the environment and local community by supporting students to donate and reuse items
Over 4,000 pieces of kitchenware and items of clothing were given out to almost 400 new students over the weekend at a Free Shop, run by the University of Sheffield. The items were all donated by departing students at the start of summer as part of the University’s Donate, Don’t Waste scheme. Donate, Don’t Waste is designed to reduce wasteful purchasing of kitchenware each year, as items are often only lightly used before being disposed of when students leave.
The first Free Shop launched in September 2013 and since then over 4,000 students have benefited from the scheme with over 32,000 items being donated and reused via the Donate, Don’t Waste scheme. The Free Shop is held every year during Intro Weekend in September and in February for semester two arrivals.
Andrew Woffindin, Contracts and Sustainable Coordinator at the University, said: “I’m really proud of the success of this year’s Free Shop. It’s a great way to welcome new students, foster a sense of community, and help reduce waste.”
Donate, Don’t Waste is a scheme designed to encourage students to donate reusable items when they move out of their student accommodation, helping to reduce waste and minimise their impact on the environment and local community.
In total, the scheme has helped raise over £1million for the British Heart Foundation, diverted over 600 tonnes of useable items from going to waste and reduced related emissions by 13 tCO2e.