The University of Edinburgh's end of term Postgraduate student decant operation was back at full capacity after pandemic restrictions hampered usual resource reuse procedures during the 2019/20 and the 2020/21 academic years.
The University of Edinburgh's postgraduate population spans a number of accommodation sites throughout Edinburgh with Postgrad numbers running into the thousands each academic year. Students travel from far and wide to study at the university each amassing varying amounts of resources to help them survive and thrive in their time spent in Edinburgh. Many of these students do not wish/need to or even have the capability of transporting these resources back home with them which subsequently results in a huge output of unwanted clothing, crockery, kitchenware, homewares and bedding of which the university is committed to finding reuse solutions for.
The University of Edinburgh champion the creation and facilitation of waste to resource and reuse solutions for resources throughout their entire postgraduate campus during the student decant fortnight. In accordance with Recreate Certified's reuse standards and protocols, the UofE's accommodation, catering and events and their sustainability team worked in collaboration with Recreate Scotland's Environmental consultant - Keirin Burns, to achieve industry leading redistribution figures via 1st generation reuse protocols and mechanisms implemented in partnership with Recreate Scotland, Bright Green Environmental Solutions and Zero Cost Scotland.
Thousands of individual resources are set for recirculation via 1st generation reuse protocols and processes. These resources were diverted from unnecessary landfill/recycling disposal methods and avoided the traditional resale model of reuse, instead filtered through Recreate Scotland's zero cost circular economy frameworks keeping them in circulation and subsequently extending the life cycle of these resources whilst supporting Edinburgh's local communities, individuals and families.