Of this total tonnage, 59.52% of waste was recycled on-site, an increase from 55.56% in 2022/23.
Highlights from the data include:
- An 11% reduction in catering food waste due to the efforts of the Catering team.
- Non-residential waste was reduced by 32% from 893 tonnes in 2022/23 to 600 tonnes in 2023/24.
- Residential waste was reduced by 12% from 1,053 tonnes in 2022/23 to 923 tonnes in 2023/24.
- Paper recycling in non-residential areas was reduced by 36 tonnes. This reduction in paper recycling could be explained by the reduction in on-site printing due to the hard work of the Creative and Print team.
Whilst this reduction in waste is positive, we must continue to monitor and reduce our waste and increase our recycling rate under current and upcoming legislation.
Currently, we have to comply with the ‘Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011’ which legally requires us to apply the Waste Hierarchy of reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover before considering landfill.
From 31 March 2025, Simpler Recycling Legislation is being introduced in England to help standardise and simplify recycling. The legislation states that all businesses must segregate the following items from general waste:
- Metal
- Plastic
- Paper and card
- Food
- Glass
Segregating waste streams allows for effective recycling processes as it reduces the chance of contamination. Segregating different waste streams means that they can each be treated differently, in the most sustainable manner. Not only is it better for the environment but segregation also saves the University money, as less processing is required to separate materials. Segregating recycling saves the University £50 per tonne.
In 2024/25, we will need to drive improvements by:
- Enhancing the quality of our recycling by reducing contamination through an awareness campaign.
- Increasing the use of WARPit and Kit Catalogue to reduce the amount of furniture and equipment we throw away that still has use.
- Improving food waste segregation across academic buildings by introducing this into areas where we don’t already have this provision. This will be required to meet the Simpler Recycling Legislation.
- Working with our new waste contractor on innovative recycling solutions to enable more of our waste streams to be recyclable.
What does this mean for the University?
As the University already segregates these recycling streams, this legislation does not pose any challenges for us. However, it is important that we continue to strive to improve our accuracy of segregation, reducing contamination of recycling.
The University has already begun the rollout of food waste segregation, with many buildings already successfully segregating food waste. This will continue to be rolled out in the coming months.
Individual office bins will continue to be phased out, not only will this promote correct segregation, but it will also relieve some workload from our premises staff. Instead, staff are encouraged to use communal bins where correct segregation can take place.
The Domestic Services and Waste team are currently reviewing bin infrastructure and planning the rollout where infrastructure is missing.
Find more information about waste segregation on the Sustainability website. Should you have any queries, please contact waste@lboro.ac.uk.