Margaret Rule Hall: students fed up of ‘disgusting stench’ as bins go unsorted for weeks

Students in Margaret Rule Hall are angry about the impossibility of recycling their rubbish as mountains of waste have built up.

The jumbled heap of unsorted rubbish in the hall is so bad that students were unable to properly sort their recycling from their general waste so just threw it on the “giant mound” in the designated recycling area.

The frustration has led to many feeling they have “lost hope” in Unite Students, a private company that is the largest provider of student accommodation in the UK.

Many say they “refuse to take the bins out” and are hoarding piles of rubbish in their flats, creating an uncomfortable, and unsanitary, living environment for their first weeks away from home.

One law student said it was “frustrating that the management is poor, especially for a company we pay so much money to.” The accommodation is part of Portsmouth University where the average weekly rent is £160.

Another student studying psychology has said that “the thought of having to walk past the bin juice to get to a 9am lecture” made her want to “skip” in her second week at University.

Rubbish was left piled for up to two weeks in the main area and threats of council fines were issued to students living in Margaret Rule.

Bags of rubbish spilled out onto the streets as well as a flow of unknown “bin liquid” which ran into the road.

The smell which grew from the pile “f****** reeks” said a Graphic Design student. Passersby have had to walk in the road to avoid stepping in the puddles.

Students have been issued an apology from UniteStudents who said they were “doing their best” however it offered no explanation as to why the store had been left in that state for so long.

the pile of rubbish outside of Margaret Rule Hall

Eventually a temporary set of bins were put up in an adjoining car park whilst contractors were sent to clear the sludge. Students were informed of the work taking place via a mass email sent out.