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• • Recycling A-Z for students living on campus
  • Recycling A-Z for staff members

Recycling A-Z for students living on campus

Aerosols (Domestic)

Cans containing aerosols, such as deoderant.

Recyclable? Yes

Hazardous? Yes

Aerosol cans are designed to contain liquid or gas, packed under pressure with a propellant. Full or partially filled cans could explode if exposed to heat or punctured, for example, as a result of compacting in a waste vehicle or compactor.

Aerosols should not be pierced or squashed before disposal.

Process for recycling

• For completely empty cans, remove nozzle and place in Dry Mixed Recycling bin.
• For partially or completely full cans, contact your Building Manager to arrange a collection by a specialist contractor.

Aluminium and Steel Cans

Metal cans, used for food and drink - usually aluminium or steel.

Recyclable? Yes

Ensure cans are empty and clean before recycling.

Process for recycling

• For food cans, empty contents in General Waste bin and rinse clean.
• For drinks cans, empty contents into sink.

Place clean, empty, cans into the Dry Mixed Recycling bin.

Aluminium Foil

Foil e.g. aluminium, tin, kitchen foil.

Recyclable? No

Place aluminium foil in General Waste.

Batteries

There are various types, but batteries must not be placed in General Waste or Dry Mixed Recycling bins. All battery types require disposal via different means.

Lithium, lithium-ion, and alkaline

Recyclable? Yes

Process for recycling

• Place individual batteries in your nearest battery recycling box.

 

Nickel cadmium, mercury and lead-acid, and rechargable

Recyclable? Yes

Hazardous? Yes

Process for recycling

• Produce detailed list of all batteries to be disposed of, including type and quantity of each, and send to your Building Manager.
• Store safely until collection.

Cleaning Products and Pesticides

Domestic cleaning products cannot be poured down the drain. Empty bottles can be recycled.

Recyclable? Yes

Hazardous? Yes

Process for recycling

• Use up the product, rinse the bottle, and recycle in Dry Mixed Recycling. You can keep the spray nozzles on when recycling.
• If you don’t use up the product, please contact your Building Manager to arrange a disposal through a licenced contractor, or they may re-use them in possible.

Catalogues, Books, and Journals

Paper books, catalogues, and journals.

Recyclable? Yes

Reusable? Yes

Recyclable if in bad condition. Items in good condition items can be reused.

Process for reuse

• The Student Union Book Market
• Consider giving them to charity and donating them in a British Heart Foundation Bank.
• You can also donate unwanted books to charity or your local library.

Process for recycling

• Damaged books, catalogues and journals can be recycled in the Dry Mixed Recycling bins.

Cigarette Butts

Disposable cigarette ends.

Recyclable? No

Process for disposal

Please dispose of cigarettes in ashtrays as normal.

Confidential Waste (paper and other data)

Paper, CDs, DVDs, and tapes, and items that contain sensitive information.

Recyclable? Yes

Process for recycling

Designated confidential waste bins are available in most offices, managed and collected by Veolia.

For more information, or to request more regular collections, contact your Building Manager.

Crisp Packets

Generic crisp packets, recyclable for most brands.

Recyclable? Yes

There are many places on campus where you can recycle your crisp packets with TerraCycle, including several Sussex Uni Food outlets.

You can find your nearest crisp packet recycling point on the TerraCycle website.

Disposable Coffee Cups

We recycle disposable cups via dedicated bins across campus. These use more energy to recycle because the paper and plastic are bound together, so please try to avoid using disposable cups whenever possible, and bring your own reusable cup to campus.

Recyclable? Yes

Process for recycling

• Locate a dedicated SimplyCups recycling bin, e.g. at Bramber House Eat Central.
• Pour any remaining coffee, tea etc. in the provided container.
• Place your empty cup in the bin.

Duvets and Pillows

At the end of the academic year, we recycle all duvets and pillows from summer schools that can no longer be used.

Recyclable? Yes

Process for recycling

• Automatically takes place for summer school items at the end of the summer.

Electrical Equipment (WEEE)

WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) covers all end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment, including virtually everything with a wire, plug or battery. It is required to be collected via our licensed WEEE contractor and is illegal to dispose in any other way, e.g. bins, skips, etc.

Recyclable? Yes

Reusable? Possibly

Hazardous? Possibly

Process for reuse

• If the item is reusable, you can dispose of electricals in a British Heart Foundation bank.

Process for recycling

• If your item is not reusable, give your electrical waste to your residential Building Manager who will dispose of it accordingly to be recycled.

Food Waste

All food waste (including animal bones and meat)

The University's food waste goes through anaerobic digestion to create electricity and biofertiliser.

Recyclable? Yes

Cooked food, uncooked/raw food, plate scrapings, meat, fruit, vegetables, and biodegradable bags are all recyclable.

Process for recycling

• Remove all packaging and place food only in food bin where provided (e.g. in cafes where purchased).
• Please locate your nearest food waste bin. If no food waste bin is available, place in General Waste bin.
• Suitable packaging can be placed in Dry Mixed Recycling bin if it is clean of all food residues; if this is not possible food packaging must be placed in general waste.

Process for composting

If you would like to compost your food, the Sussex Roots society have a compost bin in their allotment. Please ensure only raw, plant based food goes into these compost bins.

Food Packaging

Not all types of take away food packaging are recyclable: the material itself may not be recyclable, or paper and card which is recyclable may be contaminated with food/drink residues.

Recyclable? Possibly

Rinsed out milk bottles, empty drinks bottles, rinsed cans (food or drink), cardboard (corrugated, cereal boxes, non-plastic coated packaging) can be recycled.

Disposable hot drink cups can be recycled in specific recycling bins (please refer to the Disposable Coffee Cup section).

Salad trays, margarine and yoghurt pots, plastic coated cardboard (e.g. noodle containers), crisp packets, sweet wrappers, polystyrene, aluminium foil, and sandwich boxes cannot be recycled.

Reusable? Possibly

Ensure cans are empty and clean before recycling.

Process for recycling

• If there is food residue or drink remaining which cannot be rinsed out, or packaging is non-recyclable place in General Waste bin.
• If packaging is clean and recyclable place in Dry Mixed Recycling bin.

Furniture

All furniture owned by residents or individual schools and departments that is no longer required.

Recyclable? Yes

Reusable? Yes

Process for reuse

Consider giving it away to charity. The British Heart Foundation collect furniture for free.

Process for recycling

If the furniture is not reusable, contact your Building Manager for it to be collected and recycled.

Glass

Not all glass is recyclable. Drinking glasses, window panes, and Pyrex are not recyclable as they are made from a toughened glass which contains a different mix of chemicals, meaning they have a different melting point to glass bottles and jars.

Recyclable? Possibly

Empty recyclable clear, brown and green glass bottle and jars are recyclable.

Pyrex, water jugs, drinking glasses, and ceramic items (e.g. plates, mugs) are not recyclable.

Reusable? Possibly

Process for recycling

Remove lid, empty contents, rinse container and place in your nearest glass bin.

Process for disposal

If items are broken or otherwise not reusable, box securely and place box in external General Waste bin.

Paint, Varnish, and Glue

Paint, varnish and glue including bituminous based substances, and other substances used in the maintenance and upkeep of buildings and roofs.

Reusable? Possibly

Hazardous? Possibly

Process for disposal

Substances must never be disposed of in a drain, bins, or skips. Contact your Building Manager to arrange a collection.

Paper and Cardboard

Paper and cardboard items, such as office paper, packaging, boxes, birthday cards and similar.

Reusable? Yes

Recyclable? Possibly

Cardboard (corrugated, cereal boxes, non-plastic coated packaging), paper (newspapers, office paper, magazines, sticky notes), envelopes (including window envelopes), newspapers, books, catalogues and journals are recyclable.

Disposable hot drinks cups, plastic coated cardboard, paper towels, glitter cards/wrapping paper, padded envelopes, and sandwich boxes are not recyclable via this process.

Process for recycling

• Remove all contents, plastic packaging and polystyrene inserts.
• Place paper/cardboard in Dry Mixed Recycling bin.
• Glitter cards/wrapping paper cannot be recycled and must be placed in the General Waste bin. Alternative uses for wrapping paper is brown paper or old magazine pages etc.
• Please contact your Building Manager if you have a large collection.

Paper Towels

Paper towels must be placed in General Waste bin. They are not recyclable as they are generally made from recycled paper, and the paper fibres get shorter with each reuse, meaning they are too short to be recycled again.

Recyclable? No

Hazardous? Yes

Place paper towels in General Waste.

Plastic

Various plastic items.

Reusable? Yes

Recyclable? Possibly

Empty plastic drinks and milk bottles, plastic detergent and cleaning fluid bottles, plastic shampoo, conditioner and shower gel bottles, plastic spray bottles (spray tops removed) and all other plastic bottles are recyclable.

Bubble wrap, yoghurt pots, plastic trays, polystyrene, plastics bags and film, other plastic items and lids, crisp packets (see crisp packet), sweet wrappers, hard and rigid plastics (e.g. window frames, pipes, drums or other non-bulky compactable plastic items), containers with food residues and bioplastics are not recyclable.

Process for reuse

Packing material is often made of plastic, and can often be reused.

Process for recycling

If the item is plastic and and bottle-shaped, place it in the Dry Mixed Recycling bin. If not, place in General Waste.

Polystyrene

Polystyrene comes in various forms - beans, moulded, sheets, balls, etc. Polystyrene packaging is not recyclable but can be reused for packaging.

Reusable? Yes

Recyclable? No

Hazardous? No

Place polystyrene in General Waste. If you have a large collection, please contact your Building Manager.

Printer Cartridges

Used or broken printer cartridges.

Recyclable? Yes

Process for recycling

• Seal individual waste cartridge in plastic bag, free of any cardboard or plastic packaging
• Store safely and give to your Building Manager.

Stationery

Where possible reuse files, folders and any other items of surplus stationery.

Reusable? Possibly

Recyclable? Possibly

Process for reuse

Consider giving items to charity. You can donate via a British Heart Foundation bank.

• Prepare the items for reuse/recycling e.g. remove contents from folders, remove staples/paperclips, remove plastic pockets, etc.

• If unsuitable for re-use, determine what it is made of: single material items (e.g. thin cardboard wallet folders) can be placed in Dry Mixed Recycling bin; and multi-material items (e.g. lever arch or ring binders) in the General Waste bin.

TetraPak (Food and Drink Cartons)

Food and drink cartons which have a foil interior and paper exterior, bound by plastic.

Recyclable? No

Process for recycling

• Please dispose of TetraPak in general waste.
• We are currently working to install a new TetraPak recycling point on campus, and will update this page once it is available.