Waste left on the street, even if it’s next to a full bin, is fly-tipping and can land you with a hefty fine. Every year fines are handed out around student move-out time and failure to pay can lead to prosecution. If the bin is full, wait until it’s empty before adding your rubbish. Students On The Move bins are emptied every weekday so you won’t have to wait long!

Bristol Waste, Bristol City Council and the universities are working together to support students on the move with additional crews and waste disposal sites, easier access to the recycling centres, discounts on bin hires and information on how to dispose of waste properly.

Your university expects you to be a considerate member of the community and they say that “non-compliance with council waste and recycling collection procedures (rubbish goes in the bin, not next to it) can lead to disciplinary action being taken.” And that might put a downer on your summer plans. Turns out summer starts when you put the bins out.

Your landlord needs to ensure your house is structurally sound, is safe and in good repair, and that there is gas, hot water and electricity. Your landlord is not responsible for that desk you no longer need. Get set for a stress-free moving day by knowing how to sell it, donate it, recycle it or bin it responsibly. Don’t risk your deposit by leaving rubbish in your garden or on the street.

Make sure the house is totally empty when you leave

“My top tip for moving out would probably be making sure that the house is totally empty at the end, so that landlords don’t have the responsibility of moving things out, and ensuring that everything is recycled properly and the bins aren’t too full.

We didn’t do this properly in first year and ended up getting some of our deposit deducted, but we’ve made a huge effort since and have had no further problems, so it’s definitely something worth thinking about!” – Sanjeet, engineering student

Sort out your moving stuff as early as possible

“After 4 years of Uni, I’ve definitely learnt that sorting out moving my stuff as early as possible makes life a lot easier, and I’ve been using the Bristol Big Give donation points for the last couple of years. It’s been a no-brainer- donating stuff I don’t need to charity makes life easier for me, and is great for charity and the environment.” – Liam, MA Philosophy student

Donate or swap clothes you no longer wear

“Every term I try and have a bit of a clear out of my wardrobe. If I haven’t worn anything for over a year, or if I’ve bought a replacement item, I will donate my old clothes to a charity shop, or check if my friends have anything they’d like to swap. This means I can continue my charity shopping habit guilt-free, and I don’t have a huge pile of unwanted clothes to move home!” – Anna, history student

Sort out the recycling in the kitchen

“This year I’ve really tried to encourage my flatmates to sort our recycling properly! We bought different coloured bins for our kitchen, making it super easy to chuck things into the right bin without having to sort it all out later. We also have a poster of what goes in each bin above, meaning no one has an excuse to recycle badly! Working together as a flat to do something positive has been great- would definitely recommend!” – Marco, chemistry student