What can be recycled?
- glass bottles and jars
- cans
- tins
- hard plastics (bottles, yoghurt pots)
- paper
- card
- food
You have a responsibility to keep all areas clean and tidy. Please sort your waste into the appropriate kitchen bins on a regular basis to ensure that as much as possible is recycled; cleaning staff empty these each weekday. Please do not leave rubbish outside your bedroom door or allow it to accumulate in kitchens. Waste left around the residence looks unsighly, encourages pests and can be a fire hazard.
Most items can be recycled if they are a single material. Please remember to rinse items before placing them in the bin; this will ensure that the recycling is better quality and reduce smells in the kitchen. There is no need to wash items thoroughly; just give them a rinse so that they are not coated in food.
Paper or card coated in food (such as pizza boxes) cannot be recycled so please put these items in the general waste.
The recycling system
The system is very straight forward; in most areas there is a green-lidded bin for recyclable items and a black-lidded bin for general waste. Across the South Kensington campus, however, we segregate the glass, paper and card into two additional streams to further reduce our impact on the environment.
Some halls already recycle their food waste into compost; we hope to extend this scheme during the year. Please remember to remove any packaging from food waste placing it in the bin.
Remember the 3Rs: Reduce, reuse, recycle
- Reduce the amount of rubbish you generate; for example, buy loose foods rather than pre-packaged produce, only print documents when necessary and be sure to print double-sided
- Reuse items whenever you can; for example, reuse carrier bags, use rechargeable batteries, buy washing powder in refillable containers (this will also save you money)
- Recycle as much waste as possible! Sort your waste into the recycling bins provided; you will find these in halls and throughout the College. Where possible, choose products in recycled or recyclable packaging
Three more ways to help
Recycle your unwanted clothes and shoes
Money raised in the UK by British Heart Foundation fund sustainable development projects in some of the poorest regions of the world. Carbon emissions from textile production are considerable so ensuring that materials are recycled is one of the best ways of mitigating the impact on the environment.
Student halls reuse and recycling scheme
For the last five years the College has operated an end-of-year reuse scheme in halls to divert unwanted goods to good causes. Nearly four tonnes were donated to the scheme in 2012 of which 82% was reused, 13% recycled and 5% sent to landfill. By reusing items and extending their lifespan we can avoid unnecessary CO2 emissions and by donating the items to charity we can benefit those in need at the same time. Look out for information towards the end of the summer term so you can contribute to the success of the scheme.
See our online waste directory
Find out more about waste and recycling in the online guide.
The website includes a waste directory detailing all recycling opportunities, tips on how to recycle more and details of our latest initiatives.