You’re probably going to need many of these things again at some point in the future and you’re only going to end up spending more money when you move to your next place. Consider finding ways to take these kinds of things home if you can.
If you really can’t take things away, then why not give some items to a charity? If you didn’t end up using them much, then they’re probably still in almost new condition and someone else could get some use out of them.
A great way to get rid of items you no longer need is to list them on websites such as Ebay, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace and Freecycle. You might even make a bit of cash as well. Make sure you choose the ‘collection only’ options so you don’t have to worry about shipping the stuff you sell out to the buyers.
Some universities and student unions now have initiatives which allow you to drop off any unwanted items in good condition, and they’ll pass them on to new students next year. It might be worth checking whether your uni offers anything like this (if they don’t, why not suggest it to them!).
If you really can’t find a new home for your stuff, make sure you recycle everything you can. Every council has different rules about what you can and can’t recycle, but most will have some kind of recycling for household items at a waste site.
It might not be useful for right now, but if you’ll be moving back into a new temporary house next year then be extra careful about what stuff you end up buying/brining with you. As well as being more sustainable, it also means you’ll have less to worry about when you’re in the same position this time next year. Check out our blog post on kitchen equipment you don't need to bring to uni.
Thanks to Edd Keith for raising this issue, providing the photos and suggesting some solutions. If you have any other ideas about how to reduce waste and be more sustainable, tweet them to @studentfooduk
