Waste and Recycling Guide for Student Accommodation

Introduction

Students, Students, Students....after leaving college and taking the first steps to adulthood, your next port of call is University and Student Accommodation.

Living with mates, partying the night away, becoming a responsible adult, you may feel like you have finally made it. Yes, Uni is great and living with your friends is exciting, but, there is a mess that comes with it, that is not much spoken of in Student Digs across the UK. The mess of household waste!

Waste management might not be the sexiest topic, but it's an essential part of adulting.

We are sure there are many Uni Leavers or current Uni students that have seen the mess other students live in, and it isn't pretty!

Well, in this blog, we will be giving all you Students and Student Accommodation managers some top top tips on how to get straight A's on your recycling and waste. Waste doesn't have to be a boring 4 hour lecture...it can be fun and fulfilling session that gets your student digs clean and sparkling. 

Usually, the only thing fresh about most student accommodations is Fresher's Week!

Well, not anymore with this guide to waste and recycling!

Understanding Waste Management

Importance of Waste and Recycling

Waste and recycling in and around student accommodations isn't just important to make the place look neat and tidy. 

There are a few different ways for why waste management is so important:

• Environmental Protection: By recycling, we can reduce our pollution, as recycling reduces the need and materials to create new products. It also minimises the destruction of habitats and wildlife.
• Public Health: Picture those empty, greasy pizza boxes in the corner, stinking out the place. Attracting flies and even worse...rats. By keeping accommodations clean you are minimising the spread of disease or contamination. 

Types of Waste in Student Accommodations

• Food Waste: Leftover food, kitchen scraps, and expired perishable items.
• Paper and Cardboard: Used paper, packaging materials, and cardboard boxes.
• Plastics: Disposable water bottles, food containers, packaging, and plastic bags.
• Electronic Waste (E-Waste): Old electronics, such as smartphones, laptops, and chargers.
• Garden Waste: Garden trimmings, plant debris, and other biodegradable materials.

Environmental Impact of Improper Waste Disposal:

Its imperative that whenever you are disposing of waste, no matter what type, that you manage this safely and properly. 

Improper waste disposal doesn't just affect you and your student halls, it affects the environment, community and climate. 

Air and Water Pollution: If we don't recycle properly, our waste ends up in landfills, where it gives off damaging gases such as methane which causes pollution, this damages our air, water and environment. 

Resource Depletion: Failing to recycle leads to the overuse of our planets natural resources, such as minerals and metals.

Climate Change: Landfills also release and generate greenhouse gas emissions, like methane and carbon dioxide. 

The Basics of Recycling

What is Recycling and Why It Matters:

Recycling is the process of collecting, sorting, processing, and transforming used materials into new products...but why does it matter? 

1. Conserves Resources: By recycling, we are reducing the need for new materials, which preserves natural resources such as trees and water. 
2. Reduces Waste: This goes without saying....by recycling we are reducing the waste that is sent to landfills. Landfills are not environmentally friendly so any way of reducing the amount of waste sent there is a positive thing. 
3. Saves Energy: Just like turning off your PS5 or laptop after a hard days work saves energy, recycling saves energy. This is because recycled materials require less energy to recycle compared to how much energy is needed to produce the new materials needed to remake the product.
4. Promotes Sustainability: By recycling you are promoting a more sustainable way of living. 

Common Recyclables in Student Accommodations:

• Paper and Cardboard: Just picture all those greasy pizza boxes stacking up. This is before you even get into how many textbooks and other paper related items are used for the student life. All these items can be recycled. 
• Plastics: Water bottles, food containers and other plastic based items, such as rulers.
• Glass: Beverage bottles and jam jars that are typically found in student halls, are very eco-friendly and can actually be recycled endlessly without losing quality. 
• Metals: Fizzy Pop cans and other metal items. 

How Recycling Works: The Process from Collection to Transformation:

1. Collection: All those bin wagons going round collecting household rubbish from student accommodations and households. 
2. Sorting: Once collected, items are taken to waste and recycling facilities where they are sorted into different types of materials such as paper, plastics etc. 
3. Processing: Once sorted, the waste is then processed to remove any foreign items or contaminants. This could be done by shredding, pulping etc. 
4. Transformation: Finally, the materials are transformed into new products through the manufacturing processes. For example, old paper and cardboard pulp, can be turned into new paper products such as recycled paper or recycled coffee cups.

Setting Up a Recycling System in Your Accommodation

We totally get it...with such a tight space and bottles stacking up (alcoholic or not), it can be difficult to figure out the most efficient way of handling and setting up a recycling system in a university accommodation.

However, for landlords of student houses or managers of student dorms, it doesn't have to be impossible!

Here are a few simple steps to setting up recycling in student accommodation:

Choose the Right Bins

Recyclables Bin: Select sturdy outdoor recycling bins with a decent sized capacity so that all the recyclable  materials such as cardboard, paper, glass can be stored safely and separately. 

Non-Recyclables Bin: For any non-recyclable items that your tenants or housemates produce, these should go in your general waste bin. 

For student accommodation blocks, we would suggest using at least 4 x 1100L General Waste Bins but more likely more. 

Labelling

Clear Signage: If you are a student accommodation manager, use clear and easy to understand signs on each so that all your tenants know exactly what goes in what bin. You could use colours or symbols to show this. 

If you are a student living with housemates, create a little sign to show what goes in one bin. Get your creative heads on. 

Visual Aids: Create a poster or info-graphic to help your residents understand which items belong in which bin. 

Bin Location

High-Traffic Areas: Place recycling and waste bins in high-traffic areas such as common rooms, kitchens, and lobbies where residents are likely to encounter them frequently.

Near Exits: Position bins near building entrances and exits for easy access when residents are leaving or entering the premises.

Proximity to Waste Sources: Place bins close to areas where waste is generated, such as near desks or study areas in student bedrooms, to encourage proper disposal.

Reducing Waste: Tips and Tricks

Minimising Food Waste

Plan Meals: Get together as a flat or apartment to create specific meals that you all can enjoy. This reduces the amount of left over food creating a smell in your fridge, or that 25 day old bolognaise. 

Sharing is Caring: When you have ordered that KFC or just done a big shop at Iceland, it can be tempting to hoard that food for yourself, but, by sharing your food together or chucking your flatmates your left over scraps, you are minimising your food waste and stopping you from throwing it away.

Paper Waste

Recycled Notebooks & Papers: Purchase recycled paper & notebooks & encourage the use of both sides of the paper, even though we know which side everyone likes to write on!

Recyclable Binders & Folders: Search for recycled binders and folders that have less plastic in them.

Online Submissions: Submit essays online rather then spending £50 on printer credits at the student library. Not only is it saving yourself money, but you are reducing the paper waste generated. 

Double-Sided Printing: If an essay does need to be printed out, printing on both sides is an easy win for paper waste reduction. 

Plastic Waste 

Refillable Water Bottles: Using refillable water bottles ditches single-use plastics and is 1 of the easier ways to be more sustainable. 

Donate Old Items

If you have any old items at all that could still do a job, be this furniture, gym equipment or old electronic waste, donate this to a local charity or place this for free on Facebook Marketplace or Freecycle.

By donating these, you are giving your old items a second chance. 

How to Dispose of Special Items

Electronic Waste: With all the different electronics created each year, you can be forgiven for hoarding these and wondering what is the best way to dispose of electronics. 

Electronics can be difficult to recycle due to the internal components and materials that are used to create phones, TVs etc...

So, what are the best ways to dispose of this?

Research E-Waste Recycling Options: Your local tip will usually take on electronic equipment. Alternatively, research local electronic waste disposal companies near you. 

Check the Manufacturers: Some electronics manufacturers such as Sony, offer take-back programs for their products, allowing you to return old devices for recycling.

MusicMagpie & other electronic purchasing sites: They may offer you 4p for your brand new Iphone 15 Max, but, this is another great way of ensuring that you are reducing your electronic waste and that it is re-used. 

Hazardous Waste

Usually most student waste that you will find in halls could be classed as hazardous...we won't give any further details on that. However, we are talking about the hazardous, hazardous items, you know, your battery acid, cleaning chemicals, not the 40 day old ready meal sat on the kitchen worktop. 

If you do come across hazardous waste when tidying or cleaning student accommodation, what do you do? 

Well, first of determine which items you are going to be disposing of. Then, check if the university offers specialised hazardous waste collections. 

If you are a student landlord or accomm manager, we would always recommend that you hire an effective waste management company that pride themselves on dealing with hazardous waste as safely as possible.

Bulky Waste

For Students

Donate or Sell Usable Items: Consider donating or selling bulky items such as furniture, appliances, or electronics that are still in good condition to local charities.

Tip Trip: Alternatively, if you are lucky enough to know a friend with a car, get those bulky items snapped down to size and stuffed in the back of a car. Then you can take a lovely, household road trip to the tip!

For Managers/Landlords

Arrange Collection: Select a waste company that offer household waste recycling of all your bulky items. REMEMBER, before using a waste service, ALWAYS look at reviews and testimonials. 

Donate to your local charity or UNI: If you have some old items and you need a quick clear-out, donate your bulky items to your local UNI or your local charity. 

Recycling Resources and Support

Apps for reducing waste

Too Good To Go: As an avid user of this ourselves, we can really recommend this. This is an app that lets you collect food from local businesses to ensure that no food waste is thrown away. You can pick up discounted surprise bags from stores such as: Greggs, Asda, Co-op etc.

Freecycle: These are a not for profit organisation that encourages neighbours, friends and communities to share items with each other for free. This is great way of sharing unwanted items, whilst knowing they are going to good home.

University and community programs that support recycling efforts

In this day and age, with zero waste programs and sustainability drives around the UK, it was only a matter of time before Universities jumped on the recycling drive. You will find that most if not all Universities will have a recycling program or a recycling guide to encourage all students to recycle. 

For example, the University of Liverpool have a waste guide that can be found here: liverpool.ac.uk/media/livacuk/sustainability/Uol,Recycling,Guide,Final.pdf

Just like modern day sports, there is actually a University league of Sustainability and Recycling.

You can see who is topping the leaderboard here: 

https://peopleandplanet.org/university-league 

Engaging with Roommates and Neighbours on Recycling

Strategies for encouraging participation in recycling initiatives

Educational Workshops: Host workshops or information sessions to educate roommates and neighbours about the importance of recycling and proper recycling. Don't make it like a lecture, make it fun and create a poster so that all roommates and tenants know exactly what goes where.

Lead by Example: Follow proper recycling rules and practices to show that you are committed to recycling, this naturally encourages other to do the same.

Incentives

For landlords or accommodation managers: Consider setting up recycling challenges or competitions. You could do this between Accommodation blocks for instance Flat A vs Flat B. This is a fantastic way of getting students on board. 

For Students: Set up a leaderboard or just a little weekly challenge when having your clean up to see who can fill up the most bin bags. The winner pays for tonight's takeaway. Again this is a great way of making recycling fun for roommates.

Setting up a recycling schedule or rota

Planning: Set up a rota or schedule between your roommates so that everyone knows what needs to be done on each day. Keep it fair and rotate different jobs each week so that nobody feels hard done by. 

Clear Communication: Once the rota is set, have a proper family roommate meeting. This is so that everyone is happy with their roles and that everyone understands collection days, which rubbish for which bin etc. 

The benefits of working together to reduce waste

Just like with anything in life, working together for a better purpose is always the best way to work and waste is no different. Not only do more hands create less work, and faster cleaning times, but it also.,..

Builds Community: Champion your neighbourhood to reduce waste. This encourages and fosters a sense of community spirit within your neighbours, roommates and local residents. 

Positive Impact on the environment: Reducing waste and increasing recycling rates together, can make a great impact on reducing pollution and fighting climate change. 

Cost Savings: Recycling, Composting & giving away unwanted items to neighbours and communities, not only creates a better overall environment but...you are actually saving money by reducing the need for private waste disposals and extra collections. 

Challenges and Solutions

Challenges

Limited Space: Student Halls especially, have limited space where it can be tough or difficult to find the right place or space for bins and waste items to be disposed of. 

Inconvenience: For some teenagers and students, they may look at recycling as a major inconvenience to their daily life of eating pizza, lectures and talking about how hard life is. 

No Awareness: It could well boil down to them having little to no understanding of how imperative recycling is. Some students may not fully understand proper procedures for sorting and disposing of recyclables.

Contamination: Students will be licking the grease off the bottom of pizza boxes never mind washing them. Grease and others such liquids can contaminate waste which can hinder the recycling process once the waste arrives at the recycling centre. 

Solutions

Education: Host interactive workshops or events to educate students about the importance of recycling. You could integrate this workshop with your first introductory event, so that from the very first day all the students living on campus knows exactly what is expected of them when it comes to student recycling and waste. 

More Accessible: Make the recycling bins easily accessible to all students. When they are easy to access and clearly marked, it encourages students to recycle more. This could be by setting up a mini recycling station in common areas. 

Create more space: You could look to implement stack-able bins or containers, so that when the bins are empty, they can be stacked on top of each other. Also, how about installing some wall mounted shelves, to hold the bins on. 

Conclusion

The lecture is over. 

The class is dismissed, so start your journey and get running down the Uni halls of sustainability. We hope that you find our tips helpful and that they have made you more determined to make your student halls and blocks more recycle friendly. 

Here are a few reasons why you should use us for your student digs waste management and disposal:

• Fully Accredited & Licensed. 
• 12 months contracts / No Auto-Renewal
• Dispose of waste correctly! No Landfill! All rubbish is sent to an Waste to Energy facility to ensure we are as environmentally friendly as ever.
• Clear waste disposal costs. No Hidden Fees!
• Junk Removal & Skip Hire services for all your big, bulky waste. 
• If you wish to see any of our legal documentation then please email binfo@busybins.co.uk and we will be happy to provide copies of this. Our waste carriers licence number is CB/DU222271 for any online checks you wish to carry out.

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