Give your items a second life
Help reduce waste, save money and support a more sustainable community by giving unwanted household items a second life.
Imperial’s halls reuse initiative at Kemp Porter and Woodward Buildings helps keep usable household and kitchen items out of the waste stream by making them available to other students for free.
From unwanted items to useful essentials
In summer 2026, staff at Kemp Porter and Woodward Buildings collected, cleaned and sorted items left behind in 171 communal kitchens after students moved out.
The project recovered more than 7,000 items, including kitchenware and household essentials, with an estimated replacement value of over £18,000.
Rather than being thrown away, these items were prepared for reuse by incoming students, helping them settle into their accommodation while reducing unnecessary spending and waste. Suitable electrical items are PAT tested before being made available.
The initiative shows how small actions can make a real difference, helping us make better use of existing resources and build a stronger culture of reuse across our halls.
How you can get involved
There are several ways you can help make the initiative a success:
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Take what you need from the 'Room to Reuse' at the start of the year and 'Sustainability Corner' throughout the year. Look out for opportunities to collect reusable household and kitchen items made available through the halls reuse initiative. Items are free to take.
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Donate unwanted belongings. If you have items you no longer need, consider passing them on rather than throwing them away.
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Leave items clean and ready to reuse. Wash and clean suitable belongings before donating them so they can be used by another student.
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Spread the word. Encourage your flatmates and friends to donate unwanted items and make use of available free items.
By passing items on, you can help reduce waste, save resources and make student life a little more affordable for others.
Sustainability Corners at Kemp Porter and Woodward Buildings
You can donate and collect reusable items throughout the year through the Sustainability Corners in the Kemp Porter and Woodward Buildings common rooms.
If you have unwanted items that are still in good, usable condition, simply leave them in the Sustainability Corner for another student to take. Items available in the corners are free for anyone to take.
You might have clothes, crockery or other suitable household items that someone else could use. Before donating, please make sure everything is clean and in a condition that someone else can use.
Equally, if you need something, check the Sustainability Corner before buying it new. You could find just what you need while helping to reduce waste.
Together, we can give more items a second life and make our halls a more sustainable place to live.
Find out more
Read the full story about the initiative: Thousands of unwanted student items given a second life through new halls reuse initiative.