Charities boost from student recycling campaign

Charities are to benefit from a huge campaign encouraging students to recycle and reuse their property as they leave their homes this summer.

And students taking part in the scheme, affecting around 7,000 properties as well as those living in halls of residence across south Manchester, will be eligible to win tempting prizes.

Manchester City Council is working with The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University to organise the scheme in a bid to end problems caused by piles of rubbish being left outside as houses are vacated.

Students in areas such as Fallowfield and Withington will be given bags into which they should place old clothes, sheets and shoes, as well as reusable materials, and leave outside their homes.

These materials will go to charities such as Oxfam, the Mustard Tree or the Fallowfield-based Wesley Community Furniture Project.

Students who leave materials outside for collection can text 'zero waste' with their name and address to 86099 or e-mail recycling@manchester.gov.uk and be entered into a draw to win prizes including tickets for end of term party Pangea or a year-long Stagecoach bus pass.

The campaign follows a scheme introduced last year, in which extra collections were organised for student halls of residents, and vanloads of duvets were donated to dogs’ homes across the region.

Councillor Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council’s Assistant Executive Member for the Environment, said: “We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of Manchester’s students last year, and so we’re glad to be working closely with both universities to make sure recycling is made even easier for the city’s students.
 
“Manchester has the biggest student population in Europe and we’re very lucky to have them here, but we also need to make sure the city’s permanent residents face as little disruption as possible when thousands of students leave their homes at the end of the summer term.”

Notes for editors

The packs contain green bags to place old clothes, sheets and shoes, as well as clear bags to place reusable materials such as pots and working electronic goods such as TVs and microwaves, and leave outside their homes.

Students are being asked to fill these bags and leave them outside their homes during key dates, with the City Council arranging extra collections targeting student houses on weekdays from May 24 until July 2, and on Saturdays from June 19 until July 3.

Contact: Conrad Astley, Manchester City Council Press Office: 0161 234 1010