Food waste recycling

Food waste recycling

Good news; we are rolling-out more food waste recycling bins across the University during 2025!

You can put all kinds of food waste in the special food waste recycling bins and caddies that are located inside campus buildings.  Please look out for and use the dedicated food waste recycling points in and near catering outlets and cafés, and in key locations such as foyers, kitchenettes and common areas (there is a list of current locations below, so you can find your closest bin).

Larger catering outlets have bins with 'Organics' written on them (see left-hand image below). Various other types of food recycling bins (see middle images) and food recycling caddies (see right-hand images) are located in buildings across the University:

Catering food waste bin Food waste recycling bin  Food waste recycling caddy Food waste caddy

Food waste recycling labelPlease don't put any glass or metal or plastic packaging in the food waste recycling bins.

Metal items and clean plastics should be put in bins for Dry Mixed Recycling.

All packaging that is contaminated with food or liquid should be put in bins for non-recyclable General Waste.

What can be put in the food waste recycling bins and caddies?

All kinds of raw and cooked food waste can be put in these bins and caddies, plus tea bags and coffee grounds; but please don't put any glass, metal, plastic or cardboard packaging in them.

Who empties the food waste recycling bins and caddies?

The cleaning staff will regularly empty the food waste bins and caddies at the same time as other waste and recycling bins, and put in new bags, based on usage. Bins and caddies will be emptied at least a few times each week, but may not be every day.

Why are clear plastic bags being used in the bins and caddies rather than compostable or biodegradable bags?

Compostable bags do not degrade quickly enough within the Anaerobic Digestion facility, so have to be removed at the start of the AD process, along with all other types of packaging and bags, which are then sent for incineration to generate electricity.

Clear plastic bags are less likely to leak when put into recycling bins on campus, compared to using compostable bags. It is also easier to see contamination in clear plastic bags than in opaque compostable bags.

What happens to food waste that is put in the bins and caddies?

It gets taken to an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility, which is different to a composting facility. Raw food can't to be sent to many composting facilities, but all types of food can be processed into electricity and fertiliser at an AD facility.

Where's my closest food waste recycling bin?

Click on the arrow next to the name of a building to see if food waste recycling bins are currently located there. During 2025, more food waste recycling bins are being rolled-out on a building-by-building basis, so keep coming back to check...

Whiteknights campus

Agriculture

  • GL10 – Student Common Room & Café
  • RGU04 Kitchenette in Support Centre office
  • GU07 Common room & kitchenette
  • Seating area outside 1U04
  • 2L25 kitchen
  • 326 kitchen

Allen Lab

  • None yet

Archaeology

  • None yet

Art - Reading School of Art

  • None yet

Blandford Lodge

  • None yet

Brian Hoskins

  • 1L kitchen and seating area
  • 2L landing
  • 3L landing

Carrington

  • None yet

Chancellors

  • None yet

Chemistry

  • LG45 kitchen (next to Bassett Room)
  • LG13 Technical Services office
  • Ground floor kitchenette and seating by spiral stairs
  • G6 postgrad office
  • 209 staff common room

Edith Morley

  • Ground floor foyer and seating area
  • G02 Support Centre kitchen
  • G27H kitchen
  • G35 postgrad/staff room
  • G85 CQSD kitchen
  • 117 kitchen
  • 213 kitchenette
  • 201A kitchenette
  • 232 kitchen
  • 281 kitchen
  • 320 kitchenette

Foxhill House

  • None yet

Harry Nursten

  • In Food Labs & Sensory Science booths
  • Food ATP - 1.37 kitchenette
  • 1.05 kitchenette
  • 2.19 kitchenette
  • 2.26 kitchen

Harry Pitt and Psychology

  • GS01 staff common room and kitchen
  • 101 NCAS common room
  • 174 NCAS kitchen
  • 227 kitchen
  • 256 food prep room

Health & Life Sciences

  • Ground floor - Café
  • 1st floor kitchenette
  • 2nd floor kitchenette
  • 3rd floor kitchenette

Henley Business School (Whiteknights)

  • Ground floor foyer next to HBS Café
  • G16 kitchen
  • Kitchenette near 104/105
  • Seating area near 130
  • 133 kitchen
  • Kitchenette near 222
  • 224 kitchen

Hopkins

  • Ground floor main foyer
  • 201 breakout area

ICMA

  • Café
  • Staff kitchen

JJ Thomson, Maths and DTS

  • LG floor outside Slingo and Ditchburn lecture theatres (TBC)
  • Ground floor – JJ Thomson support hub (TBC)

Library

  • Staff room/kitchen

Maths building – see JJ Thompson

Miller

  • None yet

Minghella

  • None yet

Old Whiteknights House

  • None yet

Palmer

  • Foyer (TBC)

Park Eat & Bar

  • As part of recycling stations with other bins

Park House pub

  • Back of house food preparation area

Philip Lyle

  • None yet

Polly Vacher

  • None yet

Psychology – See Harry Pitt

Russell

  • None yet

RSU building

  • In catering outlets

SportsPark

  • None yet

The Square Dining

  • As part of recycling station with other bins

TOB2

  • None yet

Wager

  • None yet

Whiteknights House

  • None yet

London Road campus and other locations

London Road campus - L14 The Dairy

  • As part of the recycling stations with other bins

London Road campus - L46 Architecture

  • None yet

London Road campus - other buildings

  • None yet

Museum of English Rural Life (MERL)

  • MERL Café

St Patrick's Hall Dining

  • As part of recycling station with other bins

Wantage Hall Dining

  • At part of recycling station with other bins

Reading Enterprise Centre (REC)

  • In the main foyer seating area, next to the café

Greenlands campus - Henley Business School

  • As part of food service
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