Blog: Hear from Hazaar founder and UoB alumna Harriet
Hi, I’m Harriet Noy, a UoB alumna and CEO of Hazaar, the first zero-waste marketplace which aims to create a circular (and green!) economy for students at UoB.
Harriet Noy, CEO, Founder & former UoB student for the Sustainability International Impact Award at the PIEoneer 2023 Awards
To mark UoB’s Green Week, I’m here to tell you more about the work I do at Hazaar at a local level to support our environment, drive awareness and help you – our student community – get more sustainable.
Firstly, what is Hazaar?
Hazaar is a marketplace app, just for students. With Hazaar, UoB students have access to their very own student in-app and in-person marketplace. You can buy, sell, list, and simply upload items from other marketplaces with ease. So, if you’ve got a spare jumper lying about, why not be sustainable and sell it via Hazaar?
How does it work?
When you’ve bought and/or sold an item, you can arrange to meet up in a safe space on campus (as highlighted in the app). Rather than using wasteful packaging, hand over the item to your buyer, and confirm the cashless payment via the Hazaar app. All saving time and avoiding unnecessary postage and packaging.
And that’s not all. We acknowledge the need to have a long-term impact on the environment and sustainability, and that’s why Hazaar also offers students the opportunity to earn and learn. For example, our Head of Hazaar, Millie Edwards, and a team of brand-new Hazaar Ambassadors run programmes within UoB. We also hire a few interns to support us!
How can you get involved?
Hazaar hosts fun in-person pop-up events and mini-markets on campus so students can have a safe place to sell preloved, handmade items within our UoB community.
Not only does this help us all be a little more greener when it comes to buying and selling items but Hazaar also gives you an easy, fun and convenient way to make money from your unwanted items, especially during a Cost of Living crisis.
We understand the impact it has on everyone and whilst there's support available from UoB if you need it, hopefully, these Pop-Up markets can provide you with the opportunity to make some extra cash by recycling your old threads, promote your own sustainable small business, and even raise money for Guild societies. There’s a bunch of different ways you can get involved. So, why not join us?
Pop-Up Market during UoB’s Green Week
To find out more about Hazaar, come along to our Pop-Up Market on Tuesday 14 November at The Underground (Guild of Students) from 10:30 until 17:00, where we will be joined by 23 student sellers, who are engaged, trained and ready to sell in an effort to Go Green!
Whether you’re looking for gift ideas or to treat yourself, see what pre-loved bargains you can snap up.
Harriet’s hacks for creating a circular economy at UoB
I’ve also put together some hacks to help you kickstart this year’s UoB Green Week.
- Buying just one item second-hand can help combat environmental problems.
- Societies can use pop-ups to generate income by selling their fancy dress to other societies.
- No waiting for deliveries - you can arrange to get your goodies from your seller.
- Feeling crafty or simply need to declutter? Try your hand at selling with friends and meet new friends whilst you sell.
- Looking for student budget-friendly items - look no further, you’d be amazed at the brands, quality and variety of items for sale in the app or at the pop up markets.
Can't make the event? Follow our Instagram @JustHazaar for future Pop-Ups. There are also more events happening on campus in celebration of UoB’s Green Week, read our news story here to find out how you can get involved.