Resource Management
The University is committed to the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources within its operations and supply chains. Responsible waste disposal is a priority at the university, ensuring that we protect not only our land by ensuring we have enough appropriately placed external bins for food, mixed recycling, general waste, dog waste and coffee cups but also by diverting 100% of our waste away from landfill.
We are actively engaging with staff, students and visitors to encourage them to follow the waste hierarchy:
- Avoid: Stop waste from being created in the first place.
- Reduce: Reduce waste, our Single Use Plastic and Disposable Item Policy is created to encourage the use of re-useable items i.e re-usable cups and water bottles. See our maps for locations of water coolers across campus.
- Reuse: Working with the Phoenix resource centre through the donation of desks, chairs, IT equipment for use here in the UK and in Djibouti. We have a long standing relationship with The British Heart Foundation spanning over 7 years. See the 2021 report to see how we have helped to raise up to £76k worth of donations for the charity.
- Recycle: Bin it The Best Way campaign to support waste segregation, a selection of recycling bins across the estate allow for a wide variety of items to be recycled.
- Dispose: For waste that cannot be recycled and as a last resort our waste is incinerated for energy recovery as an alternative to fossil fuel use.
Our aim is to increase our recycling rate from 71% to 80%, to achieve this we realise the importance of clear signage to support the segregation of waste ensuring as much as possible gets recycled. If you’re not sure what waste goes where, then watch our video below to find out “What Goes Where”.
Awareness and behavioural change campaigns play an important part in educating our staff and student community in the correct way to dispose of waste, we do this by supporting national campaigns and various waste reduction projects.
89% of us recycle, do your bit. Together we recycle.
#recycleweek #uon_sustainability
Waste projects in action
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
We use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework to guide our activity. Our resource management policies and projects are linked to the following SDGs:
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Find out more about our impact on the SDGs