Bin it right

Published: 28/04/2023

Talking about bins can be a bit, well...rubbish.

But they are important, and we do need to make sure we are using them properly at NTU. Mainly to reduce food, liquid, greasy food containers and other non-recyclables being put into our general mixed recycling bins.

When incorrect items are placed into the recycling bins, this contaminates the other materials in there. It also makes it a lot more resource and energy intensive to separate materials when they reach our waste contractor Enva.

Currently only 45% of waste is properly segregated on site at NTU, which means that items are either placed in the wrong bins or the recycling bins are being contaminated. This prevents contents from being processed correctly and hinders our efforts to be more sustainable. That's why the Sustainability team has launched a new campaign to improve this and help you 'bin it right'.

So, what are we doing to fix this?

Working alongside NTU Catering, the Sustainability team is:

• putting out physical and digital signage to help you put your rubbish in the correct bins.
• publishing a handy webpage full of misconceptions and top tips about recycling correctly.
• promoting our A-Z Waste Guide for guidance on how to deal with specialist waste streams at NTU.
• placing liquid bins in relevant catering areas and encouraging leftover drinks to be emptied by the Catering team.
• spreading the word that the Catering team has access to food waste recycling bins – so leave your leftovers on your plate.

If in doubt, leave it out

If you're unsure whether an item can be recycled, the most sensible thing to do is place it in the general waste bin.

The good news is that more than 95% of all waste from the bins across our campuses does not end up in landfill. Material that is not recyclable is sent to energy recovery, where it is used to become fuel blocks for energy. However, as our waste hierarchy shows, it is much better to recycle what we can first before disposing of it.