Unite Students and Manchester Met recycle thousands of items and materials from Cambridge Halls redevelopment

• Partnership donates 581 items of furniture and white goods to local charities and community groups from the university’s former halls of residence
• 352 mattresses diverted from landfill and 216 lorry loads of materials crushed and reused on site
• New development will provide high-quality, sustainable homes on campus for 2,302 students

Unite Students and Manchester Metropolitan University have donated 581 items of furniture and white goods worth around £47,000 to local charities and community groups.

The items came from the university’s former Cambridge Halls residence, which has been demolished as part of a joint redevelopment to deliver 2,302 modern, sustainable student homes.

The partnership’s main contractor, GRAHAM, helped divert 352 mattresses from landfill and recycled 13 tonnes of aluminium from waste window frames directly into new window frames, saving 70 tonnes of carbon.

A total of 4,700 tonnes of material was crushed and reused on site, the equivalent of 216 lorry loads, supporting the partnership’s sustainability goals.

The project is being delivered in two phases with the first 1,101 beds set to open for the start of the 2029/30 academic year, and the remaining 1,201 beds opening the year after.

The new student accommodation has been designed to attract students of all years to live on campus, with a variety of room types on offer and a wide range of high-quality amenities, including a rooftop exercise area and sports pitches.

The redevelopment will improve the supply and quality of the university’s accommodation, helping to free up homes for local families and young professionals, and includes facilities for the local community.

Tom Brewerton, Group Development Director at Unite Students, said: “The redevelopment of Cambridge Halls is a major investment in the future of student housing in Manchester, and it’s important we deliver the project in a responsible and sustainable way.

“Together with the university, GRAHAM and our supply chain partners, we’re making every effort to reuse and recycle as much of the materials from the original site as possible, while also giving back to the local community.”

Stephen Van den Hoek, Regional Director at GRAHAM, said: “Cambridge Halls shows how much a demolition can give back when cutting waste is built into the programme from the very first day. Diverting 352 mattresses from landfill and reusing crushed material on site has reduced both waste and carbon. This approach aligns closely with GRAHAM’s sustainability strategy, and it’s great to see those ambitions being put into practice here.

“Our colleagues and supply chain partners are carrying that commitment through construction, with the same focus on reuse and recycling. We’ll keep working alongside Unite Students and Manchester Met to support local communities as 2,302 new student homes take shape on campus.”