New students benefit from Pots and Pans Recycling Scheme
Thousands of unwanted kitchen items have been donated by Heriot-Watt students over the summer to help their new classmates settle into university life.
The University Chaplaincy has just completed its annual Pots and Pans Recycling Scheme. The popular initiative, which has been running for over a decade, encourages departing students to donate dining and cookware items they no longer need. These items are then cleaned, organised, and made available free of charge to new arrivals moving into accommodation at the start of the academic year.
This scheme is about much more than pots and pans; it’s about building community.
This summer, the scheme collected 660kg of donations – roughly the weight of a polar bear! Items included everything from pots, pans and cutlery to plates, mugs and kitchen utensils.
The donations formed part of the wider 2025 Unirecycle campaign, which champions sustainability and waste reduction on campus. The Chaplaincy team, supported by a dedicated group of student volunteers, worked tirelessly to wash, check and display every item ready for the first week of arrivals.
The University Chaplain, Reverend Jane Howitt, said: “The Pots and Pans Recycling Scheme continues to be an absolute lifeline for our new students, particularly those arriving from overseas who may not have the resources or time to buy everything from scratch. It’s always wonderful to see their relief and excitement as they pick out what they need. A few local Scottish students also came along, either to find a particular item or to save the expense of buying brand new kitchenware.”
She added: “This scheme is about much more than pots and pans; it’s about building community. It sends a message to our new students that they are warmly welcomed here and that generosity is part of the Heriot-Watt spirit. It also demonstrates our commitment to sustainability, as we give items a new life rather than letting them go to waste.”
In total, around 350 students have benefitted this year, each permitted to take a basic starter set consisting of one pot, one pan, one set of cutlery, along with additional essentials. This ensured that the supplies could be shared fairly among everyone in need.
Looking ahead, Reverend Howitt encouraged the entire university community to keep the momentum going: “We urge students and staff to continue donating their unwanted, non-electrical kitchen items to the Chaplaincy. These will be put to excellent use for our next intake of students in January. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our departing students whose kindness and generosity make this scheme a success year after year.”