Waste and Recycling Bins Upgrade
Work commences this month to update the external waste and recycling bin network at Bay Campus.
University Waste and Recycling Officer Fiona Wheatley secured a Welsh Government Circular Economy Grant Fund of £50,680.46 to increase the number of outside bins, including exchanging over 20 external quad bins at the Bay Campus.
In June further work will commence on both campuses to improve the availability of recycling facilities around the campus peripheries. In addition, 25 new coffee cup recycling bins will be installed on each campus, in preparation for the start of the new academic year.
Fiona, who is passionate about recycling and was instrumental in securing the University’s Carbon Trust Waste Standard Award back in September said:
“I’m thrilled to have secured this funding on behalf of the University. Waste reduction is a key component of our Sustainability and Climate Emergency Strategy. Here at the University we’re pretty good at recycling, most of us do it, but we can all do better. Our individual actions really do add up and make a big difference. Of course having the right facilities on campus to make recycling easier for everyone is key and we’re really grateful to Welsh Government for supporting us on our mission to be a top recycling University."
The funding has also enabled Fiona and the team to focus their efforts on single use lab plastics. Increasing the capture of single use lab plastics is high on the Sustainability Team waste management agenda this year and two new lab plastic recycling services for PP5 plastic and Ps06 polystyrene and a new polystyrene baler to treat packaging used in our labs, will really help strengthen our lab recycling efforts.