Piles of express package boxes donated by students at a university in Hengyang, Hunan province, will be sold to help children and the elderly. (Photos: Provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

Students at a university in Hengyang, Hunan province, handed over used express boxes in exchange for credits, as part of an effort to raise the awareness of environmental protection.

After the Nov 11 Singles Day shopping extravaganza, the campus of the University of South China in Hengyang had piles of paper boxes from students' express orders, which cluttered the campus environment and increased the load of sanitation workers, said Zhang Li, counselor for the university's Chuanshan College and the initiator of the event.

Zhang added that students could donate boxes at recycling sites and get one point in the "volunteering services and nonprofit labor activity" performance category, no matter the size of the box. Ten points can be converted into one class credit. It's a graduation requirement that students must have at least eight credits in a second-class activity, under university rules.

Piles of express package boxes donated by students at a university in Hengyang, Hunan province, will be sold to help children and the elderly.

Students who donate more than two boxes get a bookmark, and those who donate more than eight boxes get a potted plant.

From Nov 14 to 20, 2,657 students donated 1.2 metric tons of boxes, which will be sold. The money will be donated to social welfare homes and nursing homes in the city.

"It's not only about environmental protection. It also shows that we care for children and the elderly," said student Liang Minyi.