Record haul as student move-out recycling scheme collects almost 18 tonnes

Nation.Cymru staff

A student waste recycling scheme has collected a record amount of unwanted items as thousands of young people returned home for the summer.

Cardiff Council said just under 18 tonnes of materials were reused or recycled during the annual operation in Cathays and Plasnewydd, on top of normal kerbside recycling collections.

The council worked with landlords, universities and students’ unions from June 15 to help students dispose of unwanted items responsibly, donate usable goods to charity and reduce waste left on the streets.

The Students on the Move campaign ended on Sunday, with 17,493kg of unwanted items collected across the city.

That included 12,592kg in Cathays and 4,901kg in Roath.

The total was the highest recorded by the scheme and was significantly up on 6,422kg in 2024 and 7,131kg in 2025.

Students also donated 587kg of non-perishable food to Cardiff Foodbank.

A key part of the campaign was The Big Takeaway, which provided pop-up drop-off points in Cathays and Plasnewydd between June 15 and July 5. The sites were intended to give students an alternative to leaving unwanted items outside properties and to ensure materials could be reused by charities and community organisations.

Items collected included 4,533kg of textiles, 3,295kg of metals, 2,755kg of electrical items, 2,389kg of ceramics, 1,348kg of hard plastics, 1,060kg of reusable household items, 758kg of wood, 675kg of books, 73kg of batteries and 20kg of light bulbs.

The council said officers also carried out engagement work before and during the move-out period, including outreach events, door-knocking and visits to pop-up recycling sites.

In total, 5,029 students were contacted through the campaign. That included 1,001 through outreach events, 481 through door-to-door engagement and 3,547 at pop-up recycling sites.

Additional street cleansing and waste removal teams were deployed in Cathays and Plasnewydd during the busiest periods, with known waste hotspots monitored.

Waste enforcement officers were also involved, while more than 1,280 engagement and education letters were sent to landlords explaining how waste should be presented.

The council said more than 250 properties will receive Community Protection Warnings as part of ongoing efforts to keep Cathays and Plasnewydd clean and tidy.

As part of the wider operation, 11.68 tonnes of residual waste and 3.78 tonnes of bulky waste were removed.

‘Disruption’

Cllr Ed Stubbs, Cardiff Council’s cabinet member for frontline services, said: “I would like to thank students, residents, universities, students’ unions, landlords, charities and staff for their support in making this year’s campaign a success.

“There is no doubt that when thousands of students move out of the city for the summer holidays, it can cause some disruption.

“By providing additional resources, including extra services, enhanced waste enforcement activity and increased street cleansing operations, we have worked hard to minimise disruption for residents as much as possible.

“By working together, the campaign has been a success. We have increased recycling and reuse, supported local charities and helped keep these neighbourhoods cleaner during one of the busiest times of the year.”