Where Does Our Waste Go?

Waste is collected by a contractor from individual sanitary waste bins on campus. The waste is collected and taken to an incineration plant for disposal.

Food waste from catering outlets on campus is collected by the University approved waste contractor via wheelie bins.  The primary disposal process for the University's food waste is anaerobic digestion, which produces electricity and fertiliser.

In an anaerobic digestion plant, organic waste is stored in an oxygen-free environment in the presence of a population of micro-organisms. In this anaerobic environment, biochemical reactions occur that convert organic matter into methane rich biogas and nutrient rich digestate. This biogas is then burnt in an engine to generate electricity that is fed into the national grid. The resulting digestate is a nutrient rich liquid or sludge which is used as a fertiliser.

The Reuse and Recycle (R&R) Service is a free-of-charge IT collection, reuse and recycling service for all Schools and Functions within the University, which is overseen by the Device Lifecycle team within DTS. All unwanted IT equipment should be collected centrally via the R&R Service. All departments can request the collection of unwanted working or non-working IT equipment such as desktop computers, laptops, tablets, monitors, docks, cables and IT peripherals. This equipment will be treated as a potential asset either for reuse within the University or for sale through our recycling partner.

Cooking oil that has been used at the University's catering facilities is collected by a company that recycles and reuses the oil. The waste oil is sorted at a plant and processed to create biofuel. This biofuel can be used in vehicles and generators as an alternative to crude oil-derived fuel, giving an overall carbon saving. 

Fluorescent lamp tubes and compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), as well as bulbs from projectors, are classified as hazardous waste. Do not place these in the recycling or general waste bins. On campus the majority of fluorescent light tubes are collected centrally. The tubes are collected by the University approved waste contractor and sent to a recycling facility.

The lamps and tubes are pre-broken, washed to remove contaminants, and a distiller is then used to extract the elemental mercury and phosphor powder. The glass, metals and plastics are broken down into smaller pieces, these materials are then separated and sent on to other recycling plants for further recycling, and turned into something new.

Glass bottles and jars are collected from bottle banks and bins by the University approved waste contractor. The glass is sent to be sorted and then sent to a glass furnace to produce new glass bottles and containers. This re-melt process can be repeated over and over again. This not only saves valuable natural resources but also saves energy and reduces overall carbon dioxide emissions.

Smaller items (tins, cans, foil) can be placed in the mixed recycling bins, which are then taken to a materials recycling facility (See Mixed Recycling above).

Larger items are collected on campus centrally and taken away for recycling.  The metal is compacted, or squeezed, and separated based on properties and then taken to a furnace that is specifically designed to melt that particular metal. After the molten metal is purified, it is cooled and solidified, then packaged to be reused.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) items are those that are powered by the mains or by batteries to carry out their primary function.  These should not be disposed of in the general waste. WEEE waste can also be deemed as hazardous waste if containing harmful substances. These items need to be stored safely and securely to prevent pollution in line with the Hazardous Waste Regulations and to prevent risk to health.

WEEE is collected on site centrally before being collected by the University's approved waste contractor. The waste is then taken to their transfer station, sorted and collected for recycling locally.