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It's Recycle Week, 24-28 September: Let's recycle more, because it matters

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There's events at each campus where you can ask questions about what happens to waste and why recycling matters. You'll also be able to see, using a VR headset, how our mixed recycling is sorted.

Our current recycling rate is 49%, but we believe we can do better - because it matters

This Recycle Week, one of our main waste contractors, Bywaters, will visit each campus to answer your questions about what happens to your waste and why recycling matters - you'll even be able to see how our mixed recycling gets sorted with their Virtual Reality headset. 

Bywaters will have a stand at the following locations between 11am and 2pm:

  • Monday 24 September: Greenwich campus in the Atrium of the Dreadnought 
  • Tuesday 25 September: Medway campus opposite the café in the Pilkington building
  • Wednesday 26 September: Avery Hill campus in the Dome Foyer

It's important the material we throw into our mixed recycling bins is relatively clean, dry and free from contamination. Too much liquid, food, banding straps, polystyrene and textiles can contaminate a whole bin and render the entire contents as waste and not recycling. 

When the level of contamination is significant, the university is notified and charged a contamination fee as the value of the material is compromised and it can only be incinerated and it costs us over £200 every time this happens.

What can and can't be recycled is still confusing because of the variations in household recycling schemes therefore take this opportunity to ask Bywaters about what you can put in the mixed recycling here at the university. Alternatively, for all the details including what to do with bulky waste, textiles and hazardous items look on our Recycle Right page. 

If you want to know a little more about where the waste goes and why there are such differences across the councils then our Mixed Recycling article explains more.