Creating a circular economy
A circular economy is a way of thinking about all that we buy and use. It is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated.
Products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling and composting. It tackles climate change and other global challenges, like biodiversity loss, waste and pollution by decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources. Below is a diagram showing the difference between linear, recycling and circular economies.
Reuse and recycling
General recycling
For anything that does need to be binned or recycled, we now have three main streams for collecting waste on our campuses:
- Non-recyclable waste – goes to energy recovery
- Dry mixed recycling (DMR) – recycled within the UK
- Food waste – turned into fuel
Note that batteries must only ever be put in dedicated battery boxes as they pose a significant fire risk during collection and processing.
Take time to learn how to recycle your items if you’re staff and if you’re a student.
Gift it Reuse it
This award-winning scheme on Streatham Campus enables outgoing students to donate home essentials for incoming students the following September, free of charge.
Between June and September 2024, the GiRi scheme received approximately 8,554 donated items (weighing 1,623 kg), which would have created approximately 10kg of CO₂ emissions – the amount that would have been released if these items had entered waste streams and been incinerated for energy.
Gift it Reuse It’s Big Collection ran again for a second time between May and September 2025, with item numbers totalling up to 15,030 (weighing 3511kg).
Keep an eye on the Sustainability Instagram @uoesustainability for info on donating and collecting at our pop-up shop events.
Gift it Reuse it
This award-winning scheme on Streatham Campus enables outgoing students to donate home essentials for incoming students the following September, free of charge. Between June and September 2024, the GiRi scheme received approximately 8,554 donated items (weighing 1,623 kg), which would have created approximately 10kg of CO₂ emissions — the amount that would have been released if these items had entered waste streams and been incinerated for energy. Gift it Reuse It's Big Collection ran again for a second time between May and September 2025, with item numbers totalling up to 15,030 (weighing 3511kg).
Keep an eye on the Sustainability Instagram @uoesustainability for info on donating and collecting at our pop-up shop events.
Reusable cup scheme
In Penryn, the Sustainability Café has partnered with Circular & Co on a returnable cup scheme. Pay a £2/£3 deposit for a small/large cup and get your money back if you no longer want it. These cups can be used anywhere on campus.
Reusable cup scheme
In Penryn, the Sustainability Café has partnered with Circular & Co on a returnable cup scheme. Pay a £2/£3 deposit for a small/large cup and get your money back if you no longer want it. These cups can be used anywhere on campus.
is a waste collection scheme operating in June and July that only collects things that you cannot recycle.
Reusable cup scheme
In Penryn, the Sustainability Café has partnered with Circular & Co on a returnable cup scheme. Pay a £2/£3 deposit for a small/large cup and get your money back if you no longer want it. These cups can be used anywhere on campus.
Warp It
is a reuse platform designed to redistribute surplus assets. In 2024, we expanded the network to students.
Food Waste
We are rolling out food waste bins across campus as part of the Simpler Recycling legislation. Help us move towards a circular economy by using a food waste bin for your lunch leftovers, or fruit peelings!
Consider what you buy
Share instead of buying your own, e.g. with flatmates, neighbours or using a Library of Things.
Try to fix what is broken, including clothes and electronics, e.g. via our Repair Cafés in Cornwall.
Get broken or damaged items repaired free of charge at our Streatham Campus Repair Café.
Buy second-hand and/or refurbished products, e.g. through charity shops, Vinted or Back Market for electronics.
Choose durable, repairable and reusable products. Look for high-quality materials like stainless steel or glass, check for brands with repair services or take-back schemes.
Carry a reuseable coffee cup and water bottle. There are plenty of places to refill a water bottle on our campuses and if you have a reusable cup, you save money on your coffee on our campuses.
Avoid ‘free returns’ when shopping online. Unwanted items often never make it back into the sales stream. Research first and try to buy only what you need.
Buy local
Shopping locally supports our businesses and communities, cuts down carbon emissions on delivery costs and gets us out in the fresh air.
There’s also loads of local places to buy fresh and nutritious food to support your gut health, brain and workout power.
- Zero waste stores are on the rise – search the full directory across Devon.
- In Exeter you could try the farmers’ market on Thursdays from 9am-2pm on the corner of Fore and South Street.
- Falmouth has a weekly market on The Moor every Thursday and Saturday, 9am-5pm and you could also try Penryn Produce, a student led Veg-Box scheme. Of course, students have the best tips – get them firsthand here: Students’ guide to shopping and budgeting in Falmouth.
Clean sustainably:
Wash your clothes at 30°C – most modern detergents are formulated to be effective at low temperatures.
Buy laundry detergent sheets instead of liquid or powder – these weigh much less, take up less space and usually come in cardboard packaging.
Buy bar shampoo and conditioner – they often come without packaging and weigh a lot less than liquid.
Buy one spray bottle and keep refilling it. Try refill pods, a refill shop or split the cost of larger 5L bottles with your flatmates.
Try purchasing natural sponges, like coconut fibre, which are biodegradable.
Keep old toothbrushes for cleaning and ditch the cleaning spray for those easy cleaning jobs – a reusable cloth and water often do the job!
Have a go at making your own cleaning products – it’s very easy!
The University has too many destinations and touchpoints, it needs to rationalise and optimise.
Actively engaging user base increases understanding and opportunity.
End-to-end experience is a critical user need.
Users expect to be known and have tailored offerings.
The University doesn’t make it easy for users to continue a lifelong relationship with it.
Follow us for news and events, like clothes swaps or mending workshops: @uoesustainability (Exeter) @uniexecornwall (Penryn)
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Stay in the loop
We can keep you up to date with our latest news, including internship opportunities, pop-up events like clothes swaps or mending workshops.
Follow us on Instagram @uoesustainability for Exeter campuses and @uniexecornwall for Penryn Campus.
Follow us for news and events, like clothes swaps or mending workshops.
@uoesustainability (Exeter)
@uniexecornwall (Penryn)