DURHAM University students are “going green” to help local charities as they leave the city for their summer vacation.

Under the Green Move Out scheme, the university and partners are encouraging students to donate belongings they no longer want to good causes, rather than throw them away.

Students can use special purple bags to donate clothes, shoes, bedding, electrical items, pots and pans, crockery, books and non-perishable food, which will be reused, diverted or sold.

The Green Move Out scheme has run for each of the last 14 years, and has grown from one college to operate across the university, in colleges and private accommodation, and also involve Durham County Council, Durham Constabulary and County Durham Furniture Help Scheme (CDFHS).

Last year, 2,870 bags of donated items were collected, which raised £2,000 for local charities, and diverted tonnes of waste from landfill. Since its launch in 2005, over £16,000 has been raised through re-use sales.

This year, collections began on Saturday June 8 and will continue until Wednesday July 24.

County council officers have visited student properties to encourage students to donate items and dispose of their waste correctly. The council has also provided extra refuse and recycling collections and street cleaning across the city.

Professor Martyn Evans, university Interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor, said: “I’m extremely proud of all those involved in and participating in the Green Move Out scheme.

"It has so many virtues: it is environmentally responsible. It lets students donate many otherwise-unwanted items thus sparing themselves expense, raises money for local good causes and it’s a practical expression of good-neighbourliness, helping to build and grow good relations between the University and the community in which we live and work."

Councillor Brian Stephens, portfolio holder for neighbourhoods and local partnerships at Durham County Council, said: “We want to ensure as much as possible is reused and recycled and so we are pleased, once again, to be working with Durham University to help the students dispose of their unwanted things responsibly.

“This is a very successful scheme which grows every year and helps us to keep Durham as neat and tidy as possible across the summer as students move out of properties.”

Steve Mitton, chief executive of CDFHS, said: “The volumes collected and sorted are truly awe-inspiring. Many thousands of bags of belongings from all sources and areas of student accommodation come to our 18,000 square feet of warehousing.

“The items are comprehensively sorted and reused. A great number of individuals and organisations are impacted as we strive to redistribute the goods via negotiating donations from visiting customers. Even the students come here and buy goods off us by just dropping in or by coming along to our dedicated Student Open sale day as terms recommence in October – thus closing the loop.”

For more information about the Green Move Out scheme, visit: www.durham.ac.uk/greenspace/greenmoveout.