UNIVERSITY students in Liverpool will be able to recycle their unwanted goods with ease this year, thanks to an innovative new approach to the annual end of year clear out.

Liverpool City Council has partnered up with University of Liverpool’s Guild of Students and Liverpool John Moores University Students’ Union to pilot a dedicated shipping container to collect donations as part of the Leave Liverpool Tidy campaign.

The container, which is located on Webster Road in Wavertee, opened to students for the 1st time yesterday, marking the start of the campaign’s summer push.

Students from both universities were invited to drop off any unwanted clothing, electricals, books, or unopened food in a bid to lessen the pressure on regular waste collection services.

The British Heart Foundation and Salvation Army will then collect the donations and make sure that they are recycled correctly and reused where possible. Any food collected will be donated to FareShare Merseyside.

The container will reopen again on:-

Friday, 30 May 2025, 12.30-3.30pm
Friday, 6 June 2025, 12.30-3.30pm
Friday, 13 June 2025, 12.30-3.30pm
Tuesday, 17 June 2025, 12.30-3.30pm
Friday, 27 June 2025, 10am-4pm
Monday, 30 June 2025, 10am-4pm
 
Council volunteers will be on hand to help those moving out of their student accommodation to leave behind their unwanted goods. Items should only be left at the container during its opening hours as it will be locked outside of these times.

Each year between May and July, thousands of people move out of university halls or student housing. Leave Liverpool Tidy is a City-wide project to boost sustainability and encourage students to donate items they may not be able to take with them when they move out.

Last year, almost 36 tonnes of items were donated and recycled, diverting them away from being thrown into household waste and incinerated, raising over £67,000 for the British Heart Foundation.

As well as introducing a secure container into the community, Leave Liverpool Tidy also invited students and stakeholders down to Kensington Fields Community Centre, where they could swap their unwanted clothes for other donated items and learn about upcoming campaign activities.

John Moores Student Life Building joined in the launch event celebrations by opening to any students wanting to drop off their donations, ensuring coverage in the main student areas of the City.

The shipping container is a new addition to and will work alongside regular community skip days to prevent waste and encourage re-use among the student population. It has capacity to hold 20 tonnes of waste and provides an alternative to Waste and Recycling Centres for those who don’t drive.

Anyone with bulky items they would like to get rid of can also use the Council’s free Bulky Item Collection by booking a slot online.

Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene said:- “We’re proud to be home to so many young adults furthering their education and, for many, living away from their family for the first time. However, with thousands of students moving in and out of the city, the demand on our waste services increases each summer, meaning we have to come up with creative solutions to what could become a big capacity issue. The new shipping container is a fantastic way to collect unwanted items and keep them safe until our teams can collect them to be reused and recycled. It will be entirely staffed by volunteers from our teams and the universities who are passionate about keeping Liverpool tidy. We’ve been working closely with the universities in the lead up to the end of the academic year and, while the shipping container is a brand-new idea, we’re confident that it will be a huge success and help to shape our plans for years to come.”

Holly Thompson, Liverpool Guild of Students Vice President said:- “The introduction of a storage container provided by the council will help to build on the success of last year's Leave Liverpool Tidy campaign. It has been great to see how the Guild's project has developed and expanded since its launch in 2012, with the integration of the British Heart Foundation. It's been an honour to work with a range of community groups across Merseyside and the project is a great example of teams working together across Liverpool Universities, students' unions, and Council. We hope that this sustainable initiative continues to reduce waste across the City.”

John Moores Students’ Union President, Daniel (Brenin) Firsht said:- “Leave Liverpool Tidy is a fantastic way for students to give back to the communities they've been part of throughout their time at university. We’re proud to be working with the Guild, the University of Liverpool, and LJMU on a campaign that not only tackles waste, but also highlights the power of collaboration between students and the wider city. We’re especially grateful to Kensington Fields for hosting our launch event, and to the accommodation providers supporting the campaign - it’s been a real community effort from start to finish.”

Leave Liverpool Tidy will be hosting further events over the next month, including home donation pick ups for any students living in Smithdown or Kensington on:- Friday, 27 and Monday, 30 June 2025. Kensington Fields Community Centre will reopen from 10am - 3pm on the same days for students wishing to drop off items themselves and there’ll be an additional donation point at the Smithdown Asda.

All events will be listed on the Leave Liverpool Tidy webpage. Donations should only be made through official channels and not left in communal bins.