Recycle

General waste

We provide paper, can and plastic recycling bins in all of our buildings.

For a full list of what can (and can't) be recycled, take a look at our recycling posters and at our Waste A-Z.

What happens to recycling

Our recycling waste is removed from Campus by a contractor and taken to a local Material Recovery Facility (MRF). At the MRF, the cans, plastics and paper are sorted and graded into different categories. They are then bailed and passed on to processing plants.

It is very important that the recycling stream does not contain food waste or non-recyclables. This can result in large volumes of waste becoming contaminated and no longer suitable for recycling.

Paper

You can recycle all types of paper in the paper recycling bins, including:

any white or coloured paper
shredded paper
photocopier and computer paper
leaflets, magazines, journals, newspapers and catalogues
envelopes including brown ones and those with windows
thin card such as cereal packaging and microwave meal sleeves
books

Please do not put waxed paper, sandwich wrappers or paper cups in the paper bins.

If you're having a clear-out or have a large number of books or journals to recycle, follow our instructions on ordering paper wheelie bins.

Cans and metal

You can recycle clean cans and metals around the campus, including:

aerosol cans
foil: clean only
food tins including pie tins: please empty and rinse
sweet and chocolate tins
cans
metal

Plastics

You can recycle:

plastic bottles and caps
yoghurt pots: please rinse first
margarine tubs: please rinse first
clear or white plastic trays

Please do not put the following in the plastic recycling bins, as these materials can't be recycled:

shrink wrap
cling film
black plastic
plastic cutlery
bubble wrap
sandwich wrappers
chocolate wrappers

Food waste

Food waste is collected in the green bins in offices and kitchens across campus.

Newcastle University produces approximately 1 tonne of food waste every week.

What can you put in food waste bins?

All food waste items can be put in the bins, including:

fruit
vegetables
fruit peel
vegetable peel
sandwiches
meat (raw or cooked)
fish (raw or cooked)
dairy
tea bags and coffee grounds
chocolate

Don't put liquids in the bins. They cause a mess when the cleaning team empty the bins.

Don't put compostable coffee cups, cutlery, plates or packaging in the bins. These materials cannot break down in the anaerobic digestion process, and must be separated from food waste before putting it in the bin.

What happens to food waste?

Food waste is collected by a contractor and taken to a local anaerobic digestion facility. When the waste arrives at the facility, the plastic bags we put the food waste in are mechanically removed from the material. This small amount of plastic waste is then sent to an Energy from Waste Plant where it is combusted and used to produce energy.

The food waste is transferred to large air-free digestion tanks where the natural biological process of anaerobic digestion takes place. In the tanks, billions of bacteria ‘feed’ on the food waste. As they feed, they produce a methane rich ‘biogas’. The biogas is used for heating and to produce electricity for the National Grid.

Clear-outs

Use wheelie bins and skips for larger quantities of waste.

Paper clear-outs

If you want to dispose of a large volume of publications, leaflets, magazines and paper waste, do not place them in the office paper recycling bins. The bins can get very heavy and unmanageable for the cleaners.

Instead you should carry out a paper clear-out as follows:

order the number of bins you need by submitting a porter request via Planon - Service 'Waste removal - Paper waste', add in the comment box that you need '360L wheelie bins for waste paper clear outs'
porters will deliver the bins three to five days after you submit the request
when the bin is two-thirds full, submit another porter request as above and add the Service 'Waste removal - Paper waste' and add a comment that the bins are full for disposal

Skips

For larger clear-outs, you can hire a skip for a single waste stream. For example, you would hire a skip for paper, glass or wood. The prices for these skips are reduced as the contractor does not need to separate the waste for recycling.

The smaller 8 and 12 cubic yard skips are not covered, so they can only be used in secure yards or compounds.

Prices: removal of items made from one material (single materials streams)

If you need a skip for items that are made from one recyclable material, the price is reduced as the contractor does not need to separate the waste for recycling.

All prices are exclusive of VAT.

Capacity	Material stream	Cost
8 cubic yards	Bricks and rubble	£120.00
8 cubic yards	Green waste	£120.00
8 cubic yards	Clean/mixed wood	£100.00
8 cubic yards	Glass	£120.00
12 cubic yards	Clean wood	£120.00
14 cubic yards	Dry Mixed Recylables (DMR)	£130.00
20 cubic yards	Dry Mixed Recylables (DMR)	£250.00
20 cubic yards	Clean wood	£250.00
40 cubic yards	Clean wood	£250.00

Prices: removal of mixed materials

All prices are exclusive of VAT.

Capacity	Cost
8 cubic yards	£126.75
12 cubic yards	£156.00
14 cubic yards	£175.00
16 cubic yards	£179.88
20 cubic yards	£300.00
40 cubic yards	£385.13

Hire a skip

Electrical Waste

Anything that has a plug, uses batteries or needs charging is known as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and should not be put in the bin when broken or no longer wanted.

These types of items often have the following WEEE logo on them.

Old electronics contain toxic substances that pose a significant risk to human health and the environment. If they are disposed of incorrectly and end up in landfill, these chemicals leach into the ground and can be transported across international boundaries, far from their sources, and they persist in the environment causing long term damage.

There have also been increasing numbers of fires starting in waste transfer stations after batteries have been disposed of incorrectly, become damaged and leaked their hazardous contents into the highly combustible waste pile. These things not only endanger the environment but also the lives and health of those working on or living near these sites.

Aside from environmental arguments, many old IT items contain personal and business information we want to keep safe, so we need to dispose of these items correctly to ensure this data is not inadvertently leaked.

Old IT equipment (including IT peripherals)

To ensure we meet the requirements on data protection you must return any University IT assets to the NUIT team. You can do this by raising a NUIT ticket.

Together NUIT & the Sustainability Team ensure that all IT equipment is dealt with in a sustainable manner with maximum benefit to the University and the environment.

NUIT maximise reuse by identifying items that are suitable to be reissued as a ‘pre-loved’ laptop or desktop. Where redundant equipment cannot be reused within the University, there is a formal agreement with a contractor to take the items for further assessment and refurbishment or recycling.

Other electricals and electronic equipment

IMPORTANT: Keep your waste within the producing school or unit. You must not leave it in corridors, building entrances, or any areas that block access routes or fire exits.

It is the responsibility of those requesting collection to identify a safe temporary storage facility while awaiting collection. Storage location should be as close to ground level as possible for ease of collection. Storage must be suitable and promote the likelihood of reuse /recovery of parts (e.g. should be undercover and secure).

Fewer than 15 items

For 15 items or fewer a collection for other electrical equipment can be made by submitting a porter request. To do this you should:

Box up smaller items such as keyboards, mice, and mouse pads;

Complete WEEE Item Form detailing exactly what you want to dispose of;

Use Planon to request a porter collection, attaching the completed WEEE Item Form (NB. A collection will not be undertaken until the porters have a copy of the form. Any items not listed correctly on the form will not be removed.)

The items are stored in a secure central location until the next collection by the WEEE contractor.

Large items or collections

Large collections (i.e. large items or more than 15 items) must be arranged directly with the appointed contractor by completing the online form for a WEEE collection.

The entries submitted on this system are sent directly to the WEEE contractor. When they receive the form and book the collection, you will receive notification of the collection date by email. It is important to ensure that you include details of the items to be collected and the location they are to be collected from.

Batteries

You can dispose of domestic batteries (e.g. AAA, AA, C, D and 9V) via designated battery bins around campus. They are usually located in building foyers or school receptions.

Please do not put other types of batteries (e.g. mobile phone, laptop, lithium or lead acid batteries etc.) in or around these bins. A porter request should be raised through Planon for collection of any batteries that are not domestic.

Decontamination of lab equipment

When sending lab equipment away as WEEE, a Decontamination of Lab Equipment Form Form must be completed and attached to the item(s).

Please download the form, complete it and attach it to the equipment prior to collection.

Please keep a record of the form locally with the collection paperwork.

Confidential waste

Most of our confidential waste is paper-based, such as examination papers and scripts or personnel records. However, you may need to dispose of non-paper waste such as CDs and floppy discs.

Paper waste

If you've already shredded your confidential paper waste, you do not need to dispose of it in the confidential waste sacks. Instead, use the standard paper recycling bins or give full bags to your cleaner.

There are two ways to dispose of non-shredded confidential paper waste:

Confidential waste sacks for small volumes

If you are disposing of small amounts of confidential waste over a long period, sacks are available. You can order a maximum of 50 sacks.

Confidential waste sacks are available to buy at £1.50 +VAT each.

To use the sack system:

Fill out an internal purchase requisition.
E-mail or scan a copy of the requisition to brian.patterson@newcastle.ac.uk and eileen.green@newcastle.ac.uk (ext: 84929 or 85368).
Fill the bags with confidential waste to the specified line.
Once a sack is full, seal it with the provided security tag.
Request a collection from the portering team by completing a Planon request.
Ensure the sacks are kept securely until the collection.

Sacks should not weigh more than 18kg. Even though they have a marked 'fill line', they can very quickly become heavy before reaching this line. As a guide, 15kg is the weight of a standard box of A4 paper.

Our porters collect hundreds of these bags each week. Although 15kg does not sound very much, when you carry many in one day, it adds up. Our porters will not collect overweight sacks. You will need to put some of the material into extra sacks, and you will be charged accordingly.

120 litre wheelie bins for large volumes

A large, secure container can be provided if you are disposing of large amounts of confidential waste, either as a one-off or as a permanent facility. There are two sizes of wheelie bin: 120 litre and 240 litre. The following are prices for each type of bin:

120 litre wheelie bins cost £12.50 per bin, with a 3 bin minimum charge. So:

1-3 bins = £37.50
4 bins = £50
5 bins = £62.50
and so on ...

240 litre wheelie bins cost £17.50 per bin, with a 3 bin minimum charge. So:

1-3 bins = £52.50
4 bins = £70
5 bins = £87.50
and so on...

You must submit a PO when you arrange collection of the bins.

Raise a PO and send directly to Russ Craggs (Russ@riverdalepaper.plc.uk) at Riverdale PLC along with your delivery/collection location.

Non-paper waste

If you have CDs or other storage media containing confidential information, you can dispose of them using the confidential waste sacks. The charge per sack is £10. You must make clear on the purchase requisition that you are disposing of CDs or floppy discs.