Falmouth University

Swap ‘til you drop – creating a resource redistribution movement on campus

We launched our new ‘Swap Shop’ campaign in 2023 with the aim of helping our campus and local communities reduce resource use and waste, encourage people to choose second hand over new, and ultimately create a space for better resource redistribution on our campuses.

A year on, nearly 1,000 items have been reused (with many more being donated), equating to over two tonnes of carbon being saved. The Swap Shop has helped prolong product lifespans, reduced wasted resources, and encouraged more circular ways of thinking.

The Swap Shop represents the pinnacle of our efforts to drive positive behaviour changes at Falmouth: effective collaborations between Sustainability, Facilities, Catering and Communications teams to deliver regular events that are targeted, fun and measurable.

Our Swap Shop has evolved from a one-off experiment, to a now-established, flagship initiative with significant excitement, involvement and long-term potential.

Top 3 Learnings

1. Don’t be afraid to start small – our initiative grew and evolved over time!
2. Make sustainability second-nature & fun – simple concepts, quirky language, colour and physical spaces.
3. An initiative’s impact is more powerful from designing in a few clear, engaging metrics.