The University of Birmingham’s Plastic-Free Society are keen to announce the launch of their own marketplace on Facebook. The selling forum will imitate the widely popular ‘Depop,’ even playing on the name, as ‘Bepop.’ Depop is typically used to sell second-hand products to people across the country, sometimes the globe, yet their version will remain a campus-orientated enterprise. 

The aim for the platform is to provide students with a cheap and easy way to recycle their unwanted clothing; it being an eco-friendlier alternative that sees benefits such as no postage and packaging costs. This is due to the platform being advertised as a message and meet scenario, whereby sellers directly meet with their buyers to exchange clothing for money. Plastic-Free encourages that these meetings should be in familiar and secure environments, such as on campus.

The main target audience for the marketplace are sports teams, who frequently purchase new costumes to fit their sports night theme for the week. The belief is that these teams can use the platform to buy their outfits from other students, preventing the constant buying of new, often polyester-heavy costumes, that more often than not end up thrown away after one use. 

Harriet Noy, President of Plastic-Free UoB, is enthusiastic about this new launch, saying: ‘We are really excited to launch Bepop! We hope students love our idea and get on board with this new way to reuse unwanted clothes at university.’ 

‘We are also committed to helping buyers/sellers with any issues as they arise.’

The marketplace is set to be in use from today and will require those wishing to partake to either request to join the Facebook page, or be invited.

Plastic-Free also have an upcoming event on 31st January. The event is a partnership with WASUP (World Against Single-Use Plastic) and will see participants cleaning the Birmingham canal from 10am at the university train station that morning. Andy Street, Mayor of Birmingham, is also expected to attend.