It’s Recycle Week and it’s time to think about where to put your rubbish!
Whilst around 80% of all waste here at the University is recycled, we know we can improve our recycling at source. Recycling at source refers to the waste that gets put directly into the recycling bin, as opposed to waste which gets recovered after the bins have been collected.
It is important to put recyclables directly into the recycling bin, rather than relying upon these items being recovered from the general waste bin later on using a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). The quality of the materials recycled at source is higher and as such, these items can be remade into a higher quality material. The MRF then ensures that as much of our waste is recovered as possible but the recyclables it recovers will be remade into a lower grade material. Waste that cannot be recycled is sent for energy recovery and a small amount sent to landfill.
Read on to find out about how to recycle at the University and the new Green Impact Sharing site we have launched to help us to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Recycling at the University
We are rolling out a co-mingled recycling system across campus. The co-mingled recycling bin is the one with the green lid. Below is a list of items that can go in this bin and, a list of items which should be put into the black lid general waste bin.
RECYCLABLES
Items to go in your green lidded, co-mingled bin.
- Paper
- Card
- Plastics
- Glass
- Tins
- Cans
- Foil
- This includes all grades and types of the above.
RUBBISH
Items to go in your black lidded general waste bin
- Lab glassware/Pyrex
- Tissues and handtowels
- Soiled paper and card food packaging. For example, sandwich boxes and cardboard coffee cups
- Food Waste
A few handy hints:
- The green lidded bins are for all your recyclables: paper, card, plastics, glass, tins, cans, foil.
- All grades and types of paper, card, plastics, glass, tins, cans and foil can be put into the co-mingled bin.
- Cardboard food containers should go in the general waste. This includes the cardboard part of the coffee cup and sandwich boxes
- Other types of food container, for example plastic coffee cup lids and yogurt pots, can be rinsed and put into the co-mingled recycling bin.
To find out about our other recycling schemes for batteries, catering platters, lab waste, mobile phones, printer cartridges, tube and lamp recycling, confidential waste, bulky waste and special collections, follow this link!
Resources
- Having trouble with a specific item? Check out our A-Z of recycling.
- If you would like to find out more about Waste and Recycling at the University, you can view our Waste Policy.
- You can find the current co-mingled recycling system poster here. This poster should be attached to every recycling bin. You can also find this poster in the General Resources section of our website.
Green Impact Share: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!
To celebrate National Recycling Week, we have launched Green Impact Share, a new platform for Green Impact departments to donate unwanted items to other teams.
If there’s something sitting in the corner of your office or on your desk which could be of more use in a new home, post it in the forum and donate it to another team for free. Similarly, if there’s something new you need, why not post in the ‘I’m looking for forum’ and if someone has what you are looking for, they can respond to your request.
How it works: Are you donating an item or looking for something? Post what you have or what you are looking for in the relevant forum. Then, if someone would like to receive your donation or give you the item you are searching for, they will comment on your post.
It could be anything you like; pens, paper, posters and resources, plants! Make sure you check the page regularly to see what is available for use!
You can find Green Impact Share on the top menu bar of our website under ‘Share’ or go to www.greenimpact.group.shef.ac.uk/wordpress/greenimpactshare/