Wednesday 08-07-2020 - 13:25

The Don't Ditch It. project sorting has begun, following an enormous amount of donations across campus.

Our shipping containers are well and truly overflowing with donations following the end of term and the start of a well-deserved summer break. We've received everything from yoga mats, to coat hangers and the kitchen sink (quite literally in one case). Our team has now begun sorting through these enormous piles and sorting them, ready for collection by our charity partners.  

In true 2020 style, the Don't Ditch It team look quite different this year, trading Green Lancaster t-shirts for hazmat suits and face masks. Plus, due to restrictions on staffing, the team is predominantly made up of students' union staff members from across the organisation and local volunteers. Every effort is being taken to ensure the safety of our team members so that this fantastic sustainability project can continue to take place, despite the new challenges presented by the pandemic.

A typical day for the team begins with collections of donations from the shipping containers across campus using our electric van, before bringing them back to base at Cartmel for sorting. Once offloaded from the van, the donations are left for 72 hours in a quarantine zone to help limit the risk of transmission. Once this period has passed, the items can be sorted into various groups such as bedding, kitchenware and books. This process enables charities to collect just what they need and leave what they don't. Previous charity partners have included International Aid, Morecambe Food Banks and More Music, just to name a few. 

Not only does the DDI project help local charities, it also has an enormous environmental impact. Almost 50 tonnes of donations are saved from landfill and redistributed to worthy causes each year, and we can't wait to see how much we'll save this year.

If you're moving out and would like to ditch some unwanted items, you can donate them at any of the following donation points:

• Bowland Avenue East (adjacent to the Chaplaincy Centre)
• Furness Avenue
• Pendle Avenue
• Alexandra Park Boulevard

🌎 We accept almost all items so that you can move out as easily and quickly as possible:

• Books, CD's & stationary
• Bedding, clothing, shoes & coat hangers
• Electrical items
• Kitchenware
• Sealed non-perishable food, packets or tins

 

✖️ There are some things we can't take due to infectious hazards:

• NO Open food packages 
• NO Open hygiene products
• NO Open cosmetic products 
• NO General waste

You can keep up to date with what the DDI team is up to on our social media channels @lancastersu & @greenlancaster.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch

#DontDitchIt #LancasterSU #SUstainability