Join in with Don't Ditch It

Find out how to donate reusable items, where donation points are located, what we can and cannot accept, and how charity or community partners can work with Don’t Ditch It.

Red background with white icons - t-shirt, coat hanger and headphones

Project launch and key dates

Don’t Ditch It is back for 2026. The project will be launching on the 8 June and charities will be able to collect from July onwards. Some of our donation points are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but for those that aren’t you can check the opening times on our outlets portal.

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Student carrying donations

Don’t Ditch It donation hubs

During the student move out period, Don’t ditch it hubs are set up so students can donate reusable items before leaving their accommodation.

Donation Hub North is located in A008 of County Main Building, accessible from Lancaster Square.

Donation Hub South is located at the EcoHub, just off the Perimeter Road on South West Campus.

What you can donate

  • Clean clothing
  • Shoes and accessories
  • Kitchen items
  • Books and stationery
  • Unopened cosmetics and toiletries
  • Small electricals (kettles, rice cookers, irons, radios, TVs, monitors, keyboards, chargers, hair dryers etc.)

We do not accept

  • Duvets and pillows
  • Broken, dirty or wet items
  • Knives
  • Large furniture items
  • Food (donate non-perishable items to College Cupboards)
  • Anything dangerous/unsafe

Here are some useful points to help you donate responsibly:

  • We try to keep things simple but be sure to check opening times before donating as dates and times can change.
  • Please only donate clean, reusable items.
  • Place items in the appropriate cage and follow signage at the donation hub.
  • Do not leave donations outside closed donation points.

If a donation point is full, please use another location or contact the team.

What happens to donations

  1. Students donate reusable items through campus donation points, British Heart Foundation donation banks, ReStore or specific Don’t Ditch It collection activity.
  2. Items are sorted and directed to the most suitable reuse route.
  3. Donations are redistributed through charity partners, sold at low cost to students through campus reuse events, or passed to year-round partners for resale and reuse.

The aim is simple: keep useful items in use for as long as possible and make sure they benefit students, charities and communities.

  • British Heart Foundation

    Don’t Ditch It partner with national charity the British Heart Foundation to provide branded donation points that allow staff and students to donate throughout the year. All items donated via the red British Heart Foundation banks support the charity and are sold to raise money for life saving research.

  • ReStore donations

    You can also donate suitable items directly to ReStore in Alexandra Square during opening hours. ReStore accepts clean, pre-loved clothing, homeware and accessories. Items donated to ReStore are resold on campus, with money raised supporting St John’s Hospice.

  • Charity and community partners

    Don’t Ditch It works with charity and community organisations that can reuse items directly or sell donations to raise funds for social benefit. We welcome interest from local, regional, national and international charities, community groups and not-for-profit organisations. Collection opportunities are usually focused between June and October.

EcoMarket

The EcoMarket is a pop-up marquee during Welcome Week where student essentials from the Don't Ditch It project are resold to new students at a low price. This is a great way to stock up on essential items such as cutlery, pots and pans, dinnerware, home accessories and coat hangers. For 2026, the EcoMarket will launch on 26 September in Alexandra Square. 

Two students buying items at the ECOMarket