Donate to St Georges Crypt as you recycle

In a pioneering new initiative from recycling campaign #LeedsByExample, students and colleagues at Leeds Beckett can now donate money to the homeless while they recycle their plastic bottles and cans or paper cups on campus. 

From 8 November, the two recycling reward machines at the University will switch from dispensing a 10p voucher for each recycled item to automatically donating 10p to St. George’s Crypt, a Leeds-based charity that provides care and support to homeless and vulnerable adults.

The machines - one which collects paper cups and the other plastic bottles and cans – will be making donations throughout the festive period until Christmas Day.  They were installed in October by #LeedsByExample, a six-month pilot campaign from environmental behaviour change charity Hubbub and recycling compliance scheme Ecosurety to improve on-the-go recycling rates in the city. 

Andrew Omond, Project Manager at St. George’s Crypt said: “Over the Christmas period we serve close to 150 lunches a day, have almost 50 residents having three meals a day and serve free tea and coffee from 11am – 3pm.

“Donations from the machines will go towards supporting this service over the Christmas period and beyond, making sure that the most vulnerable get a solid foundation of shelter, food and warmth to take on the challenges they are faced with.”

As well as the recycle reward machine charitable initiative, #LeedsByExample will also have a presence at the Leeds Christmas Lights Switch On this Thursday.

In situ near Victoria Gardens will be the ‘Re-Cycler’, a cargo bike that lets people swap their empty plastic and cans for treats and two festively-adorned ‘Bubble Bins’ that spurt bubbles (and burp) in exchange for plastics bottles and cans. The winners of a competition to name the two Bubble Bins will be announced and #LeedsByExample representatives will be giving away Parkin cake, satsumas and recycled pens.

Launched in October 2018 as a six-month trial, #LeedsByExample has brought together a unique partnership of big businesses, local firms and Leeds City Council to improve on-the-go recycling rates in the city. 

The festive initiatives are part of a much wider campaign that has been piloting recycling facilities for plastic, cans and paper cups on the streets, in local offices, shopping centres and universities.  The results of the trial will be shared openly with the goal of a national roll-out of the most successful elements.