Sustainable StrathclydeRecycling A to Z

This A to Z provides information on how to manage the most common waste types within the University.

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

A

All aerosol cans should be empty before disposal. They should be disposed of in the general waste bins at central locations across the University.

The University will investigate opportunities for separate collections of aerosol cans where possible.

B

All batteries are segregated and disposed of as hazardous waste.

Domestic type batteries

All small single-use or rechargeable AA-type and coin-type batteries (alkaline) and a small number of lithium batteries should be disposed of in BatteryBack collection points. These buckets are located in specific reception and office areas around the campus.

Publicly accessible locations:

  • Library level 3 helpdesk
  • Business School, reception
  • Village Office, Lord Todd
  • Level 3 in the Union
  • Inovo building (iBioIC)
  • Technology Innovation Centre (TIC) Building, reception and stores
  • Off campus - Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC)

Departmental areas:

  • Curran CU400a - Information Services Directorate (ISD) staff office
  • Graham Hills GH7.25 - Learning Services
  • Henry Dyer HD2.16 - research area
  • John Anderson JA5.01 - electronics workshop 
  • Royal College RC4.20 - Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE) lab
  • Strathclyde Institute for Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS) store

Please note that locations are subject to change. Please refer to this page for any updates.

The receptacles will be emptied regularly by Estates Services. They'll be collated in a larger container, and collected by BatteryBack.

If you have redundant Lithium (Li) or Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, please collect them in small numbers only. Ensure that all contacts are individually covered with electrical tape. This should be available at the collection point. Ensure that they do not come into contact with liquid.

Disposal of large batteries

If you are disposing of other batteries, for example, industrial or automotive batteries, you should contact the Estates Helpdesk. Estates will collect these separately, ensuring they are stored and disposed of through appropriately licensed waste management contractors.

Any separately collected battery waste, for example, industrial and automotive batteries, should be securely stored until collected by the Estates Management team. This is to avoid theft, damage and environmental impacts, as well as to avoid health and safety risks. Certain battery types are of particular concern. If departments are collecting these separately, they should follow the procedures described below.

Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Mercury (Hg) and Lead-Acid (Pb) batteries: these batteries are special/hazardous waste and must be disposed of following the A to Z Guidance on such waste.

Additional information:

Re-usable books

If you have books you no longer want, but they are still in good condition and not excessively old, we encourage you to reuse rather than recycle.

The University is investigating the potential to use organisations such as Better World Books. 

Recycling books

Small numbers of hardback and paperback books can be placed in the central recycling facilities for paper recycling. Should you have a larger number of books for disposal than internal office recycling bins can hold or would result in excess weight, please get in touch with the sustainability team at sustainability@strath.ac.uk for assistance in organising a direct removal to the recycling bins.

Tips to assist book uplifts:

  • please ensure the sacks for recycling can be safely lifted with one hand, if you need two hands, the sacks are too heavy
  • for large numbers of books for recycling, please bag the books in recycling sacks without overfilling the bags, as these will split when lifted.

This type of waste occurs when departments or offices have a clear-out associated with refurbishment, relocation, spring cleaning, etc.

How the University can assist you with bulky clearouts

The University has an approved contractor who can provide large containers or skips to collect bulky waste. Contact the Estates Helpdesk with a description of the waste you need to remove, and uplifts will then be organised with the contractor.

Description of the type of waste

Bulky clearout waste includes waste streams in offices such as paper, books, furniture, IT and computer equipment.

Steps to be followed when considering the waste you will produce:

  • it is the responsibility of individual departments to ensure that all offices are left clear of redundant/unwanted items once they have been vacated
  • departments should identify what materials could be re-used internally within the University
  • take steps to ensure that re-usable material is made available for uplift if a reuse opportunity is identified
  • departments should identify any hazardous waste and dispose of this following the guidance provided on the A to Z web pages. For example, this could include:
    • batteries
    • refrigerated equipment
    • electrical and electronic equipment waste
  • provide the Estates Department with a list of all redundant furniture to enable efforts to be made for these to be reused
  • if you have confidential waste, please refer to the confidential waste section on this page

What happens to bulky waste collected from you

If re-use opportunities cannot be found for bulky waste, a dedicated waste management contractor will uplift waste and recycle as close to 100% of this as possible.

C

All metal and aluminium cans are segregated and disposed of in recycling bins labelled "tins/cans".

What can I recycle?

The following items can be disposed of in the cans recycling bin:

  • aluminium cans
  • tin cans
  • steel cans
  • clean foil.

The following items cannot be disposed of in the cans recycling bins:

  • empty aerosol cans
  • chrome
  • liquid and food residues
  • paper
  • plastic
  • crisp packets.

Before disposing of your unwanted cans, please ensure they are empty and do not contain any food or liquid residues. 

Recycling procedure

Can recycling bins are located in central locations throughout the campus. These bins are lined with clear plastic bags to inspect the contents visually.

The University's cleaning and light duty staff will monitor the can recycling bins daily. When the bin is full, the contents will be taken outside to the 1100L green bin for collection by the University’s waste management contractor. These bins are labelled dry mixed recycling. 

External 1100L recycling containers are collected daily by the University's waste management contractor, who will compress and bale the material before dispatching them to a scrap metal merchant. 

All cardboard is segregated and collected within the paper and card recycling stream.  

Cardboard should be taken to the nearest recycling station, broken down, flattened and left as tidy as possible. The University's cleaning and light-duty staff will collect the cardboard daily.

Cardboard is disposed of in the 1100L external green bins labelled dry mixed recycling. 

If large quantities of cardboard are anticipated, individuals should contact Estates Helpdesk in advance and who will arrange and uplift. 

The confidential waste contractor may be used to collect your CDs or DVDs. This contractor should, in particular, be used if the disks contain confidential information. Please refer to the section on confidential waste for more information.

If your CDs or DVDs do not contain confidential information and you do not want to use the confidential waste collection service, the outer (plastic) casing can be recycled if disposed of in the internal plastic recycling bins throughout campus. The CDs/DVDs should be placed in the general waste bins and will be proceeded through our waste contractor at an Energy from Waste plant.

As centrifuges are also refrigeration units, they have a specific disposal route.

Centrifuges are disposed of in the same manner as fridges and freezers. Please refer to the section on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment recycling (WEEE) for uplift information.

The contact for the disposal of centrifuges is Robert McKenna:

View our clinical and biological waste page.

View our confidential waste page.

The University of Strathclyde aims to minimise any adverse impacts of construction on the environment. Specific information on our environmental policy is set out in Climate Change and Social Responsibility Policy, to which all consultants and contractors appointed to our projects are expected to conform.

E

Recyclable envelopes

All paper-based envelopes, including window envelopes, should be put into either the desk trays or the central recycling bins for paper recycling.

Non-recyclable envelopes

Jiffy and poly-envelopes must go into the general waste stream.

Reuse tips

The most sustainable and environmentally friendly option is to reuse envelopes. Do so by using a sticky label to cover over the old address and tape to close them securely.

F

These include:

  • strip lights
  • fluorescent tubes
  • compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)
  • mercury bulbs.

These items are classified as both Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and special waste and, as such, are covered by both sets of regulations.

General arrangements for disposing of fluorescent lamps

Estates Management should be contacted at the details shown below if you require to have waste fluorescent lamps collected.

Storage arrangements

Fluorescent lamps may contain special/hazardous waste. They should therefore be securely stored until collected by the Estates Management team. This is to avoid theft, damage and environmental impacts, as well as to avoid health and safety risks.

What happens to fluorescent lamp waste?

The University has a contractual arrangement with the company Recolight as part of the procurement process of new lighting. Nearly 100% of the fluorescent lamps collected by Estates Management are recycled.

Contact

Robert McKenna:

Food waste is segregated and collected for use in an anaerobic digestion facility.

What can I recycle?

The following items can be disposed of in the food waste recycling caddies:

  • all cooked and uncooked food
  • fruits and vegetables
  • meat and fish, including bones
  • bread, cakes, and pastries
  • dairy and eggs
  • rice, pasta, and beans
  • tea bags (not plastic)
  • coffee grounds
  • compostable food and drinks containers.

The following items cannot be disposed of in the food waste recycling caddies:

  • oils and fats
  • foil and cling film
  • non-compostable food and drink containers
  • empty packaging
  • cutlery, crockery or glass
  • bottles, cans or jars
  • liquids, fats and oils should not be recycled in the food caddies as these are collected separately.

Compostable food and drink containers

Compostable food and drink containers should be placed into food waste bins.

There is currently a shortage of supply in the UK waste sector of sites which can fully process compostable packaging and turn this into compost as an end product. Currently, compostables collected in our food waste stream are removed by a de-packager system at the waste facility and sent to energy from waste incineration.

This problem is well known in the waste sector, and the University is working with partners to find solutions leading to composting of these materials to improve environmental outcomes.

Compostable food and drinks containers are derived from plant-based, renewable materials and, as such, have a lower environmental impact than non-compostable items and have a higher calorific value. This means when they are sent to energy from waste plants, they generate more energy than non-compostable counterparts. However, the aim is to work with the UK waste sector to move this material to composting facilities that can process them as soon as is practical.

Recycling procedure

Food waste caddies are located in kitchens and some central locations throughout the campus. The food waste caddies are lined with clear liners for visual inspection.

The University’s cleaning staff will monitor the food waste caddies daily. When the caddies are full, the contents will be taken outside to 240L wheeled bins for collection by the University’s waste management contractor. These bins are labelled food waste. 

The external 240L food waste containers are collected weekly by the University’s waste management contractor. Food waste will then be used as input material for an anaerobic digestion facility. 

Anaerobic digestion

By disposing of food waste in the caddies provided, this waste can be diverted to an anaerobic digestion facility at Cumbernauld. There, it will be used to generate biogas for renewable energy.

If the folders are still in good condition, then you can reuse them rather than buying new ones. You can do this by:

  • once emptied, put them back in the stationery cupboard, if there is one
  • see if the staff member who orders stationery can redistribute the folders
  • bag the unwanted folders and contact the Estates Helpdesk.

Recycle your folders

Folders should be recycled if reuse is not an option. This depends on the folder type, for example, if it is plastic or cardboard.

Cardboard folders (lever arch files and box files) can be placed into the paper waste recycling stream. The University waste contractor can break up the material at their facilities, remove metal arches, and recycle the paper and metal components.

Plastic folders can be placed into the plastic waste recycling stream.

Content in folders

Before folders can be reused or recycled, the content must be removed. All paper content can be put into the central recycling boxes, for example dry mixed recycling stream. All plastic dividers or plastic pockets must be taken out, either for reuse or recycling. If it is the latter, plastic pockets can be put into the central recycling boxes for plastic packaging waste.

Please ensure any material relating to confidential matters is removed and shredded using the University’s confidential waste service. Non-confidential materials can be placed into the paper waste recycling bins.

Fridges and freezers are classed as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). They have a specific disposal route.

Fridges and freezers are disposed of in the same manner as WEEE. Please refer to the section on WEEE for uplift information.

Contact

Robert McKenna:

Furniture is classed as bulky disposal and has a specific disposal route.

Furniture is disposed of in the same manner as bulky waste. Please refer to the A to Z on bulky waste for uplift information.

Departments are encouraged to investigate furniture reuse within their departments before disposal. The Estates team will be able to advise if there is a demand for the furniture in other departments. However, at present, due to shortages of storage facilities, it is not possible to take all furniture for future use. Furniture may need to be disposed of through the Bulky Waste route found in Waste A to Z.

A new strategy is being investigated to explore the resources required to set up a more comprehensive reuse hub. The aim is to share it with external organisations and charities. Currently, departments are advised to carefully consider the need for new furniture. Existing furniture should be reused, and disposal should be the last resort.

Contact

Enquire with the Estates Portering team about furniture demand and disposal on campus via the contact details below.

Mark Cusack:

G

The University’s Estates team collects all garden waste and transfers it to the Stepps site. There, it is deposited and stored before either being shredded and re-used on the University’s grounds or sent for composting off-site.

Gardening and related waste is collected from all of the University's sites. Once taken to the Stepps site, it will be stored for two months until a large 40 cubic yard skip is filled. After this, the material is removed by the University's waste management contractor. They ensure that 100% of the material is composted.

Collection

Your gas cylinders must be empty before you arrange uplifts. Suppliers of gas canisters will be able to advise departments using them on their own take-back arrangements. This should be used as the first disposal route.
 
Departments experiencing issues in using take-back schemes should contact the Estates Helpdesk. Please include the following information:
  • how many empty cylinders need to be picked up
  • the location of the cylinders, including building level and room number
  • your contact name and phone number, and email address.

Potential recycling routes

To make it cost-efficient for us and the contractors, we prefer to collect many items before arranging uplifts.

Note that the contractors who recycle our empty gas cylinders also uplift fridges/freezers and other waste metal. Please check that other colleagues have such items before contacting the Waste and Recycling team. This will help maximise the efficiency of uplifts.

Following the above process will make the process more sustainable and cost-effective.

The University’s extensive segregation system encourages recyclable materials to be separated at the point of disposal. This is the most effective way of gathering good quality material for recycling. All other non-recyclable waste will still go through a process to separate any recyclables before being sent for incineration.

What goes into the general waste bins?

The following items cannot currently be recycled and must be disposed of in the general waste bin:

  • non-compostable coffee cups and lids           
  • crisp packets
  • candy bar wrappers
  • plasticised paper
  • cellophane and cling film
  • pizza boxes
  • paper towels
  • bubble wrap
  • jiffy or polly envelopes
  • polystyrene
  • food packaging
  • Tetra Pak.

If you need help deciding what bin to use, we advise you to use the general waste bin to avoid contaminating the recycling bins.

The following items should not be disposed of in the general waste bin. Recycling stations are available to segregate these items as described in the A to Z of Recycling:

  • clean paper and card
  • cardboard
  • books 
  • plastic bottles
  • plastic milk cartons
  • all hdpe-labelled plastics
  • all pet-labelled plastics
  • electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
  • IT equipment
  • metal cans 
  • cooked and uncooked food
  • tea bags
  • coffee grounds
  • glass bottles and jars
  • light bulbs
  • batteries
  • hazardous or clinical waste 
  • chemicals of any kind
  • oils
  • paints and solvents
  • furniture.

General waste procedure

Staff will not be allocated general waste bins at their desks and are encouraged to use centralised recycling stations.

General waste bins are located around the campus.

The University’s cleaning staff will monitor central general waste bins daily. When the bin is full, the contents will be taken outside to the 1100L bin for collection by the University’s waste management contractor. These bins are labelled general waste. 

The 1100L general waste containers are collected by the University’s waste management contractor daily and transported to a segregation facility. Where possible, recyclable material is separated through a material recovery process. Leftover non-recyclables are then sent for incineration, generating energy from waste.  

If you require additional bins, desktop boxes or recycling sacks, please contact Andrew Baillie, Cleaning Services Manager:

Glass is collected for recycling in the glass caddies provided in kitchens and laboratories.

What can I recycle?

The following items can be disposed of in the glass caddies:

  • glass bottles
  • glass jars
  • drinking glasses
  • coffee jars.

Laboratory glass has special considerations. More detailed information is on the waste A to Z’s lab glass section.

The following items cannot be disposed of in the glass bins:

  • contaminated lab glass
  • Winchester (brown chemical) bottles
  • glassware which has contained hazardous or special wastes
  • crockery
  • ceramics
  • glass wool. 

Recycling procedure

Safety first: broken glass is a health and safety hazard. All broken glass should be appropriately contained before disposal in the recycling caddie.

Wash: before disposing of your unwanted glassware, please ensure it is empty and contains no food or liquid residues.

Glass caddies are located predominantly in kitchens and laboratory areas. 

The University’s cleaning and light-duty staff will monitor the kitchen glass caddies daily. When the caddies are full, the contents will be taken outside to the 240L wheelie bins for collection by the University’s waste management contractor. These bins are labeled glass. 

The external 240L glass waste containers are collected weekly by the University’s waste management contractor and transported to their recycling facility. 

H

The University has a legal duty to ensure that all hazardous waste generated on campus is accurately identified. Hazardous waste must be disposed of in a controlled manner through a licensed waste carrier. Estates Services manage and co-ordinate this service on behalf of the University. We are responsible for ensuring the operation of the Hazardous Waste Service complies with both statutory requirements and the University's Health and Safety Policy. We ensure the service provided is safe and without risk to the health of those involved or others who could be affected by its operation.

To assist with the management of this service Estates Services has appointed an external Hazardous Waste Adviser (HWA). They are supported by the University Hazardous Waste Co-ordinator from Pure & Applied Chemistry.

Departmental responsibilities

Departments producing hazardous waste must nominate a Departmental Hazardous Waste Coordinator within their department. This person will assist with coordinating the removal of waste from that department. They will ensure that all hazardous waste requiring removal from the department is notified to the Hazardous Waste Service. They must use the S15 form before removal to the Hazardous Waste store.

The S15 form

The S15 form must contain an accurate description and quantities of departmental hazardous waste requiring removal. The form must be signed by the Hazardous Waste Coordinator for that department. The Hazardous Waste Coordinator will also be responsible for ensuring the waste is packed in containers suitable for that waste before removal to the Hazardous Waste Store.

Notifying waste

All Hazardous Waste must be notified by an S15 form. This should be emailed to the Hazardous Waste Mailbox hazardous.waste@strath.ac.uk before the transfer to the Hazardous Waste Store.

The Hazardous Waste Store will only accept waste on a three-week cycle. Therefore, departments are responsible for ensuring regular waste removal to avoid storage issues within their department. Further guidance on filling out the S15 can be found using the S15 guidelines.

Disposal process

On the day of transfer, the Hazardous Waste must be accompanied by a signed S15 form. It should be handed to either the Hazardous Waste Adviser or Hazardous Waste Coordinator. Under no circumstances should waste be left unattended out with the Store.

Note: the Hazardous Waste Adviser will only accept consignments of hazardous wastes that have previously been notified on an S15 Form, completed and signed by a competent person (Nominated Coordinator) appointed by the Head/Director of the respective department.

Hazardous Waste Store opening times

The Hazardous Waste Store opens to receive waste on a three-weekly cycle on Wednesday mornings between 9.30 and 11.30 am. This time may be subject to change. Please check with your departmental Hazardous Waste Coordinator.

Register as a hazardous waste producer

Departments requiring this service should email the Hazardous Waste mailbox at hazardous.waste@strath.ac.uk. 

Supplies

Departments requiring 25ltr drums, sharps containers or any other containers should email hazardous.waste@strath.ac.uk.

I

View our IT & Computer Equipment page.

L

Lab glass is collected for recycling in laboratories where safe to do so.

What can I recycle?

Glass recycling is encouraged in all laboratories, but only where safe to do so. Specific waste glass materials in laboratories are not acceptable for recycling. If in doubt, contact your lab supervisor or Estates Services. 

The following items can be disposed of in the glass caddies:

  • decontaminated glass jars  
  • decontaminated glass bottles
  • sterilised glass
  • clean broken lab glass.

The following items can not be disposed of in the glass caddies:

  • contaminated lab glass
  • Winchester (brown chemical) bottles
  • glassware which has contained hazardous or special wastes
  • non-sterilised lab glass
  • glassware with chemical residues
  • sample tubes
  • droppers
  • glass wool
  • Pasteur pipettes.

Lab glass recycling procedures

Safety first: broken glass is a health and safety hazard. Please handle all broken glass with care.

Winchester glass should be recovered directly by the supplier. It should NOT be placed in the general waste stream or the glass recycling caddy. Sigma-Aldrich, VWR, Fisher and SLS all promote the Winchester glass collection schemes. Further information is available directly from individual suppliers.

Contaminated glass: If chemical residues remain on the glass, it should be placed in the “contaminated glass” caddy. It is the responsibility of laboratory users to ensure that contaminated glass is managed appropriately per the department's hazardous waste procedures. 

Decontaminated glass: If glassware has been cleaned and contains no chemical residues, it may be placed in the “de-contaminated glass” caddy. Before disposing of your unwanted non-hazardous glassware, please ensure it is empty, free from chemical residues and appropriately cleaned or sterilised. Empty chemical containers should be rinsed out. Washings must be disposed of correctly. Irresponsible disposal of chemicals by flushing them down drains or placing them in general waste is prohibited by law.

Glass caddies are located predominantly in laboratory areas.

Individual departments are responsible for ensuring that the decontaminated glass caddies are emptied regularly and the contents transferred to the external 240L brown wheelie bin for collection by the University’s waste management contractor. These bins are labelled “glass”. The lab glass caddies are lined with clear plastic bags so the contents can be visually inspected.

The glass waste containers are collected weekly by the University’s waste management contractor. They are then dispatched to a recycling merchant. When this process is followed, 100% of the material will be recycled.

How to manage lead tubs and arrange uplifts (also includes lead-lined isotope tubs).

Disposal route

If the lead pots or tubs are attached to another material, such as plastic, the two materials should be separated, if possible.

Contact the Estates Helpdesk and provide the following information:

  • provide the number of pots and state whether they are still attached to another material
  • location of cylinders, including building level and room number
  • contact name and number.

Making the process more sustainable

To make it cost-efficient for both us and the contractors, we tend to gather a pile of items before arranging an uplift.

Note that the contractors that recycle our lead pots also uplift empty gas cylinders, fridges/freezers and other waste metal. Therefore, check that other colleagues don't have such items before contacting Estates.

Please note that the A to Z guide on fluorescent lamps and mercury lamps covers:

  • strip lights
  • fluorescent tubes
  • compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)
  • mercury bulbs
  • ballast and control gear for emergency lighting etc.

Estates Management should be contacted at the details below if you require general lighting units to be collected for disposal.

The University has a contractual arrangement with the company Recolight as part of the procurement process of new lighting.

Nearly 100% of the lighting collected by Recolight is recycled.

Contact

Robert McKenna:

M

General arrangements for disposing of mercury lamps

Separate A to Z guidance should be referred to for strip lights, fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) etc. These waste streams, along with mercury lamps, are classified as both Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and special waste and are covered by both sets of regulations.

Storage arrangements

Mercury lamps may contain special/hazardous waste. They should therefore be securely stored until collected by the Estates Management team. This is to avoid theft, damage and environmental impacts, as well as to avoid health and safety risks.

What happens to mercury lamp waste?

The University has a contractual arrangement with the company Recolight as part of the procurement process of new lighting. Nearly 100% of the fluorescent lamps collected by Estates Management are recycled.

Contact

Robert McKenna:

These items are classified as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and special waste and are covered by both regulations. They are also a potential source of revenue through various return schemes currently available. However, if you would prefer to have your phones collected, please see the approach described below.

General arrangements for the collection of your mobile phones

Contact the Estates Helpdesk to have your mobile phones collected and managed responsibly.

Storage arrangements

Mobile phones may contain special/hazardous waste. They should therefore be securely stored until collected by the Estates Management team. This is to avoid theft, damage and environmental impacts, as well as to avoid health and safety risks.

What happens to the mobile phones collected from you?

The University’s Estates team will collect and send phones to the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS). CHAS provides hospice services in Scotland for children and young people with life-shortening conditions. They will benefit from any income raised.

 

P

Paper and card are segregated and collected for recycling using a desktop tray or recycling bins labelled "paper".

What can I recycle?

The following items can be disposed of in desk trays and paper recycling bins:

  • white paper
  • paper with staples
  • newspaper
  • magazines
  • office paper
  • junk mail*
  • catalogues
  • brochures
  • white envelopes (no window)
  • white envelopes (with window)
  • manila folders
  • non-white envelopes (no window)
  • non-white envelopes (with window)
  • yellow pages
  • brown paper
  • grey card
  • brown envelopes
  • waxed paper
  • file folders**
  • brown cardboard, flattened
  • shredded paper.

*Junk mail can be reduced by using JunkMail return to sender labels

**Metal staples and clips are acceptable since the recycling process removes these.

What not to dispose of in the paper bin?

The following items cannot be disposed of in desk trays or paper recycling bins:

  • paper towels, blue roll
  • pizza boxes
  • sandwich wrap
  • coffee cup
  • jiffy or poly envelopes
  • laminated card or paper
  • plastic covers
  • food and crisp packets
  • plastic binding
  • bubble wrap.

Before recycling, please reduce and reuse your paper by:

  • setting your printer to double-sided printing
  • setting your printer to combination printing when appropriate
  • reusing single-sided printed paper for notes and to-do lists. i.e. scrap paper
  • use return to sender stickers to stop junk mail.

Recycling procedure

Desk trays are available in all offices. The University’s cleaning staff will monitor desk trays regularly. When the trays are full, the contents will be taken to the central recycling location.

Paper recycling bins are located in central locations throughout the campus. This includes building entrances, open-plan offices and lecture theatres.

The University’s cleaning staff will monitor the paper recycling bins daily. The Paper Recycling Bins are lined with clear plastic bags so the contents can be visually inspected. When the bin is full, the contents will be taken outside to the 1100L green bin for collection by the University’s waste management contractor. These bins are labelled dry mixed recycling.

The University’s waste management contractor collects the external recycling containers daily and will bale and dispatch the paper to merchants. 

Plastic items are segregated and collected using recycling bins labelled "plastic bottles".

What can I recycle?

  • plastic drink bottles
  • disposable water cups
  • High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) labelled items
  • plastic milk cartons.

Before disposing of your unwanted plastic waste, please ensure that containers are empty and do not contain any food or liquid residues. 

What not to dispose of in the plastic bottles bin?

  • bubble wrap
  • non-recyclable waste
  • cans
  • paper
  • cellophane
  • plasticized paper
  • food and liquid residues
  • whole files with plastic dividers
  • disposable coffee cups and lids
  • cling film
  • plastic food packaging
  • sandwich wrappers
  • polystyrene
  • crisp packets
  • plastic cutlery
  • plastic bags.

Recycling procedure

Plastic bottles recycling bins are:

  • located in central locations throughout the campus (building entrances, open-plan offices and lecture theatres)
  • monitored by the University’s cleaning staff daily
  • lined with clear plastic bags so the contents can be visually inspected. When the bin is full, the contents will be taken outside to the 1100L green bin for collection by the University’s waste management contractor. These are labelled dry mixed recycling.

The University’s waste management contractor collects the external recycling containers and will bale and dispatch the plastic to merchants. 

If you require additional bins, desktop boxes or recycling sacks, please contact Andrew Baillie, Cleaning Services Manager:

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) has been a challenging material to recycle. However, an increasing number of companies will now take it for recycling or energy recovery.

Minimising EPS waste generation

Most EPS waste will come from deliveries of products such as computers, electrical equipment etc. Please encourage all packaging to be returned with any companies delivering products (this often contains EPS and cardboard).

Separate collections of EPS

The Estates Management team will look at the best way to encourage the collection of source-segregated EPS for either recycling or energy recovery. In the meantime, this material must be disposed of as general waste. The university contractor will collect this with other general waste and send it to Energy from Waste Facilities.

This includes toner cartridges from laser printers, inkjet cartridges etc. and toner in the form of powder collected in small drums within machines.

General arrangements for disposing of print cartridges and other consumables

Some departments make their own arrangements to dispose of print cartridges and other consumables. It is good practice to ensure your supplier has a recycling scheme in place as part of your contract.

You can also request an uplift from Portering Services online via the Estates Management System (EMS). Your items will be collected and transported to our central depot for disposal through central contracts.   

What happens to print cartridges and other printing consumables?

The University’s Estates team will collect print cartridges. Once we have a large enough quantity, a University approved contractor will collect them for recycling. 

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What is Tetra Pak packaging?

This is packaging often used as containers for milk and fruit juices consisting of different materials, for example, paperboard, polythene, aluminium foil etc. At present, they must be disposed of via the general waste bins.

How to assist in the recycling of your Tetra Paks

As Tetra Paks are a mixed material, they cannot be accepted by the university waste contractor. This is due to the complex processing methods to separate the material used to create them. However, the University is investigating options for a central consolidation of Tetra Paks to arrange a separate collection by specialist recyclers. If your department is generating a regular volume of Tetra Pak waste, please contact the sustainability team at sustainability@strath.ac.uk with details of the numbers and regularity of your waste to assist in scoping a future service for this.

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This section describes what you should do if you want to dispose of electrical and electronic equipment such as white goods (refrigerators, freezers etc.), kettles, televisions etc. Please note that if you are disposing of IT and Computer waste, you should refer to the separate A to Z section on this instead.

Disposing of post-August 2005 equipment and replacing it with new

When disposing of post-13th August 2005 equipment, contact the original producer. Request a free-of-charge take-back service. The same applies if you are disposing of this equipment and replacing it with new.

You should also check whether you are paying an upfront charge for the future disposal of new items when you purchase.

Disposing of pre-August 2005 equipment and replacing it with new

When disposing of pre-13 August 2005 equipment, consider whether you are also purchasing new, replacement equipment. If you are, you can request that the producer of the unwanted equipment organises a free-of-charge take-back service. If you are not purchasing equivalent replacement products, you will be responsible for the disposal of this equipment following the procedure described below.

You should also check whether you are paying an upfront charge for the disposal of this equipment when you purchase new items.

Storage arrangements

WEEE may contain special/hazardous waste. It should therefore be securely stored until collected by the Estates Management team to avoid theft, damage and environmental impacts, as well as to avoid health and safety risks. Undamaged equipment will also be more likely to offer re-use opportunities. This is preferred to recycling, from the perspective of reducing environmental impacts.

Under no circumstances should equipment be disposed of in general waste or recycling bins or dumped outside. 

What happens to WEEE collected from you?

The University’s WEEE contractor is CCL North Ltd. Departments can contact CCL North directly for collections or to discuss any larger collections.

When calling or emailing for collections, the following details should be included:

  • list of items to be collected
  • a contact name, phone number and email address
  • room/floor number, building address
  • any specific access requirements.

If the disposal is for larger and bespoke pieces of kit, attaching photographs and sending them in as a query to CCL North is advised. Costs for WEEE collections are managed under a central budget.

Please note – an additional charge is made to the University for collections of under 30 items. Where practical, please store material for collection until there are more than 30 items. Or, liaise with other departments/FMs to collate materials for collection to reduce costs to the University.

Contact

Email admin@cclnorth.com or call to arrange an uplift on 01294 278844.

Re-use options should be taken into consideration. The sections below provide information on how to recycle or dispose of wood within the University.

High-quality wood for recycling or reuse

Solid wood, such as pallets, wood crates, and broken solid wood furniture, can be recycled and potentially re-used. The University is likely only to be charged for the uplift of such material (i.e. no landfill charges) if stored in a segregated skip/container.

Please get in touch with the Estates Management team to arrange a collection.

Lower quality wood

Chipboard, MDF and laminate are more difficult to find recycling markets for. However, there is an increasing capacity for the recovery of wood to produce energy. This is a more sustainable outcome than landfilling. This material should be stored in separate skips/containers and not mixed with high-quality wood (see above).

Wooden furniture

Please refer to the A to Z guide on Furniture for more information on managing waste furniture.

How can the University assist you with waste wood collections

The University has an approved contractor who can provide you with large containers or skips for collecting unwanted wood. If the quantity of wood you want to dispose of does not merit bringing skips or large containers, then the Estates Management team will collect the material directly and organise the collection by the approved contractor.

Contact the Estates Department with a description of the wood you need to have managed, and uplifts will then be organised.

What happens to furniture collected from you?

If re-use opportunities cannot be found for wood waste, the University’s preferred waste management contractor will recycle/recover as close to 100% of this as possible.