Graphic of recycling and sustainability images, including a phone with a recycling symbol on its screen, young people picking up recyclable materials and piles of plastic bottles

Sustainability and Recycling

Recycling Top Tips

If it’s plastic and bottle shaped, recycle it

In the UK we only recycle 58% of bottles at home. We can do better! Just empty, crush and replace the lids before recycling. And remember to recycle bleach and detergent bottles too. You can leave the trigger sprays on.

Remember to recycle from the bathroom

It’s important to remember to recycle from the bathroom If everyone in the UK recycled one toothpaste box, it would save enough energy to run a fridge in over 2,000 homes for a year. Toothpaste boxes, toilet roll tubes, aerosols, shower gel, soap, shampoo and conditioner bottles can all be recycled – just take the pump dispenser off liquid soap bottles first.

Give it a quick rinse

For pots, tubs and trays, just remove the plastic film and give it a quick rinse before recycling. There’s no need to get every spot of food off. Dishwashing them is a step too far, and a waste of energy!

Leave the lid on

When recycling glass, empty the contents and put the lid back on. This includes the metal lids on jam jars and the caps on bottles as glass reprocessors separate them. But don’t put drinking glasses or Pyrex cookware in the recycling as they’re made from different materials which can’t be recycled.

Remove food from card packaging

Remove chunks of food from paper and card packaging before recycling. For example, you can put in the pizza box, just make sure that any food has been removed.

Use the scrunch test

Not sure if a piece of paper can be recycled? Try scrunching it up in your hand. If it doesn’t spring back, then it can be recycled. It’s a good test to use with wrapping paper. And if you’re recycling birthday cards, tear off any glittery bits first.

Give it a quick squish

Give cans and plastic bottles a quick squish - that’ll save room in your recycling bin and make them more efficient to transport. Scrunch foil items loosely together to help them get through the sorting process without getting lost.

Recycling graphic detailing the 79 percent of all plastic waste that has entered the environment and how recycling is a measure against further damage

You can recycle or dispose your waste by following the charts below:

Veolia graphic for dry mixed recycling, showing sheets of cardboard, plastic bottles, empty tin cans and a stack of paper as examples

Veolia graphic for food waste, showing sandwiches, fruit, tea bags, vegetables and plate scrapings as examples

  • Recycling – Any materials that can be recycled i.e. cans, bottles, tins etc. should be put into a clear rubbish bag and disposed of in the recycling bins provided. These are the grey bins with the Green lids. 
  • General Waste – Any general rubbish and food waste must be disposed of in a black rubbish bag and disposed of in the plain grey bins. 

City Campus

  • The side of Durham House (RMD) - this is a recycling & non-recycling waste area
  • Opposite Vatersay House (RMV) - this is a recycling & non-recycling waste area

Waste is collected on the days stated below:

City North Campus - RMD Compound

Weekly

Mon, Wed, Fri
  • Opposite Caldmore (RWB) - this is a recycling & non-recycling waste area
  • At entrance of Gorway Halls of Residence site -  this is a recycling & non-recycling waste area

Waste is collected on the days stated below:

Walsall Campus - Student Village

Weekly

Mon, Thurs
  •  Opposite Jackfield & Kinlet House (RSj & RSK) - this is a recycling & non-recycling waste area

Waste is collected on the days stated below:

Halls of Residence (A - I)

Weekly

Monday

Halls of Residence (J - N)

Weekly

Monday, Thursday

The University has established a Sustainability and Environment Policy which states that the University will:-

“Reduce our consumption of primary raw materials (water, energy etc.) and implement the principles of reduction, reuse and recycling across all of its activities so as to minimise the volume of waste sent to landfill”.

In addition the University has developed a Waste Management Policy which underpins the above statement. A recent waste audit conducted by the University’s appointed Waste Contractors indicated that the University needs to increase the level of separation of recycled waste at point of source.

A number of ad hoc schemes for recycling exist within the University and it is anticipated that both efficiency in the use of staff resource and improvements in recycling volumes, may be achieved by implementing an overarching waste recycling strategy.

Have a Little Heart

Finding you have too much stuff or in need of a clear out?

Why not pick up a British Heart Foundation Charity Bag from The Accommodation Hub and donate your unwanted goods.

We have red donation bins located:

  • Opposite Vatersay House (RMV)
  • In between Kent House (RMK) & Lancashire House (RML)

Logo of the British Heart Foundation, a stylised heartrate monitor graphic forming the shape of a heart

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