Our Future First: focus on recycling

This month, for Our Future First, we are looking at recycling and waste.

As well as exploring some of the work that’s happening on campus to make it even easier to recycle, we’ll share tips and stories of colleagues who have made simple changes to the way that they work to avoid creating waste and limit the rubbish we collectively send to landfill.

We’ve already got a good track record, diverting 98.8% of waste from landfill – up from 98.3% last year and just short of our 99% target. We now produce 41kg of waste per person on campus – down from 62kg in 2015/16, which is 35% below our 2015/16 baseline.

Over the coming months, the University is trialling new ways of recycling the waste generated by staff, students and visitors which, if successful, could be rolled out further. These include new bins to safely recycle vapes, drinks cartons (such as TetraPak), and expanded polystyrene.

These efforts contributed to Times Higher Education judging us to be the best university in the UK and Europe for our progress against the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Reduction in its 2023 global rankings.

Reduce, Re-use, Recycle

Reducing how much we consume, re-using items where possible, and finding ways to recycle are key to the University’s efforts to avoid sending waste to landfill.

Reduce: Being mindful with what we use to avoid creating waste in the first place. That might mean thinking twice before ordering from suppliers, using suppliers that we know manufacture and deliver sustainably, or making use of equipment already owned by the University.

Re-use: Giving things a new lease of life by repurposing them. It’s University policy to try and re-use equipment where possible. Schemes such as Warp-It can help colleagues find new homes for things they no longer need at work.

Recycle: Where items are truly beyond use or repair, making sure that as many waste materials are sorted and sent for recycling rather than landfill. There are recycling points across campus. If you have something you’re not sure how to recycle, ask an Our Future First Champion for support, or contact Sustainability Services.

Look for the recycling bins

Recycling points on campus accept the following items: 

Plenty of other waste can be recycled, including glass, batteries, electrical items and confidential papers. Food waste is collected from catering outlets, and food bins are currently being trialled in some other locations. For the full list of other materials and how to recycle or arrange collection, visit the Sustainability Services site.

Find out more

Paul Taylor and Jo Merry from Sustainability Services hosted a webinar in November 2023 covering all aspects of recycling at work. You can catch up below.

For more tips on living and working sustainably, visit the Our Future First pages.