Recycling
In July 2007 the University entered into a new waste management contract which has resulted in a significant increase the in the type and volume of recycling facilities available to staff and students. To ensure that recycling can be maximised across the institution it is important that staff are fully briefed as to how and where they can recycle all waste generated as part of their day to day activities. These recycling pages will give you an understanding of what facilities are available and what types of waste can be recycled.
1. Recycling Stations
The University will use a system of ‘recycling stations’ throughout the institution to maximise the opportunity to recycle. A recycling station would typically consist of a bin for landfill waste, a bin for recycling paper and a bin for all other types of recyclable material. Some other stations will have areas for depositing cardboard or toner cartridges.
Once the scheme has been fully rolled out there will be at least one recycling station located in each building and, in larger buildings, there will be one per floor. The locations of current recycling stations can be seen on our campus maps.
Below you will find a list of the different types of waste that you are likely to generate that can be disposed of at a recycling station. The list also shows which of the three bins provided should be used. . If you have any queries relating to this please contact Domestic Services on ext. 2235.
Paper Recycling Bins
Unfortunately not all types of paper can be recycled in the paper bins. It is very important that only the correct grades of paper are placed in the bin otherwise the whole batch will have to be sent to landfill instead of being recycled. The types of paper that can be recycled in these bins are:
- All white or coloured copier paper
- NCR paper
- Letterheads
The types of paper that can't be recycled in these bins are:
- Books
- Newspapers
- Glued spine magazines or catalogues (e.g. the Office Depot catalogue)
- Envelopes
- Cardboard
- Leaflets
- Brochures
'Other Recyclables' Bin
Staff who live in the Canterbury area will already be familiar with the type of waste that can be recycled in the ‘other’ bin as the system mirrors exactly the clear sack recycling scheme operated by Canterbury City Council. Other than the types of paper listed above and cardboard all CLEAN AND DRY recyclable material can be placed in this bin. Some examples are:
- Newspapers, magazines and envelopes
- Greetings cards
- Plastic drinks bottles, sandwich boxes etc.
- Aluminium and steel drinks cans
- Yellow Pages
2. Other Recycling Facilities
Toner Cartridges
Used toner cartridges should be put back in the original box and dropped into one of the large brown recycling boxes that are located across the campus. Both inkjet and laserjet toners can be recycled. You can download a campus map which shows the location of these toner recycling points.
Glass
Members of staff will generally produce very little glass for recycling and therefore there are only two recycling points across the campus. The first is at the Priory and the second is located behind the Students Union building.
Confidential Waste
Many departments have invested in their own shredders which has reduced the need for confidential waste disposal. If you do need documents to be disposed of securely then you should collate them together in a box or sack and mark them ‘Confidential Waste Disposal’. You need to ensure that the documents are not stapled or bound in any way. Please also consider the weight of the box or sack - if you can't lift it then the cleaner won't be able to either. You will then need to contact Domestic Services (extension 2235) who will arrange to collect the waste and will hold them in secure storage until they are removed by our waste management company. If you have already shredded documents there is no need to have them disposed of securely.
Fridges
If your department has a fridge that needs to be disposed of you should contact Domestic Services on extension 2235. They will arrange to collect the fridge and it will be disposed of safely.
Stationery
If you find you have a large amount of useable stationery which is too good to be thrown away you can attempt to redistribute it around the University by e-mailing all other stationery buyers with a list of spare items. For more details please contact the Purchasing Office on extension 2792.
Furniture
If you have items of furniture which can be re-used you should contact Campus Support on extension 2014. Your furniture will be removed, stored and redistributed to another member of staff who requires it.
3. Products we can't currently recycle
There are some different types of waste that we currently don’t currently have recycling arrangements in place for. These are listed below. If you have any ideas of ways in which these items can be recycled please contact Domestic Services on extension 2235.
- Food waste for composting
- Batteries
- Paint
- Scrap Metal
- Plastic bags or clear plastic from magazine coverings
- Polystyrene