Recycling
For waste it is not possible to eliminate or reuse, we aim to recycle. We currently recycle 45% of our waste and our aim is to recycle at least 50% by 2030 through better segregation on-site and engaging with our staff and students. Investigations of our general waste bins have found that over two-thirds of the contents could be recycled in our current campus recycling systems.
Recycling systems vary in different areas and businesses, use the links at the bottom of the pages to find out how you can recycle at home. Read on to find out how to recycle at º£½ÇÂÒÂ×.
Mixed recycling
Our green bins are for mixed metal and plastic recycling.
Hard plastics can go in these bins such as bottles, butter tubs, yoghurt pots, or milk cartons.
Metal items can be recycled here too such as drink cans or soup tins.
Thin plastic cannot be recycled on campus or at home, such as cling film or carrier bags.
Things that cannot be recycled in here include: coffee cups, tin foil, glass, takeaway boxes
Paper recycling
Our blue bins are for mixed paper and cardboard.
Paper, cardboard, magazines and leaflets can go in these bins.
If there is plastic attached to paper, such as sandwich boxes or envelopes, it's preferred if you remove the plastic to put in the general waste and paper in the recycling.
Paper bags that aren't glossy can be recycled and pizza boxes that aren't too greasy.
Things that cannot be recycled include: coffee cups, tissues, takeaway boxes, blue roll, juice cartons.
General waste
Our black bins are for residual waste that we haven't listed as recyclable. This is for coffee cups, tissues, crisp packets, sweet wrappers, glass, and takeaway boxes. If you aren’t sure where to recycle something, the safest option is to put it in these bins.
Do not put batteries or vapes in these bins, they are the biggest source of fires for waste contractors as they set alight as they are crushed in lorries or at the factory.
Our recycling principles
- There should be waste collection/recycling points allocated at regular intervals in a building and outside
- No single bins (general waste or recyclables) as a minimum of 3 bins should always be co-located – general waste, mixed recyclables and paper
- In office areas, there should be no under-desk bins, only a communal waste/recycling point located at a convenient point for each office area
- In communal areas, particular attention should be made to high footfall areas such as teaching rooms and breakout areas
- General waste skips are only used when necessary for clearances, but recyclables such as wood are segregated too
How to recycle with us
We facilitate the recycling of a number of different waste streams, including more speciality materials. For a full list of wastes and details of how to recycle on campus, check out these resources: