10 items that make their way into university recycling containers (and shouldn’t!)

There’s no denying it feels good to toss empty cans and scraps of paper into the university recycling. It’s almost like you’re single-handedly paving the way for a greener campus.

But if you’re guilty of ‘wish-cycling’, and unknowingly discard items that shouldn’t be there in the hopes they’ll be repurposed later, you could be causing a whole heap of trouble for the recycling process. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you might be so confused by what can and can’t be recycled that you just don’t bother at all. Does that fear or frustration of making a mistake sound familiar?

Whether it’s wishful thinking or recycling apathy, this lack of clarity is a growing detriment to university waste streams. That’s why we’re keen to help ease the headache. Let’s explore 10 common culprits that sneak into campus recycling and shouldn’t, and see how you can adjust your waste management strategies accordingly…

Sustainability may feel like something of a buzzword today. But the shift towards greener operations is more than just a tick box exercise for educational institutions. As bustling hubs of innovation, they play a key role in driving more responsible consumption habits forward. This includes helping to better manage on-site waste streams.

It’s not just about adhering to strict regulations. Sustainable waste management practices are about setting a precedent for tomorrow’s eco champions — and that starts with getting the foundations right. With that in mind, think twice before you or your peers place the following items into university recycling containers:

1. Pizza boxes
   Cardboard means it’s recyclable, right? Wrong. Grease and cheese residue that contaminate pizza packaging can make it challenging to recycle the cardboard fibres effectively, leading to waste in recycling facilities.
2. Plastic bags
   Because they’re so lightweight and flexible, you’d be forgiven for thinking that plastic carrier bags can weave seamlessly into recyclable waste streams. However, they actually tend to jam recycling machinery, which can cause breakdowns and spiralling expenses.
3. Coffee cups
   Student life is pretty synonymous with 24/7 coffee. But the mixed materials create a real bottleneck in the recycling process, with their hidden plastic lining making them unsuitable for most recycling facilities.
4. Broken glass
   Glass bottles are recyclable, but only if they’re in good condition. As well as posing danger to recycling facility workers, loose shards of material can contaminate other recyclables and risk the integrity of machinery too.
5. Electronics
   Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), also known as e-waste, was one of the fastest growing waste streams in 2020. But only a miniscule proportion are discarded correctly. Many of the materials used in their construction, such as circuit boards, don’t break down easily. That’s why a specialised recycling process is required to separate components, enabling them to be used in other electronic products later down the line.
6. Styrofoam
   This is a tricky one, because styrofoam does have properties that make it technically recyclable. However, the air pockets that comprise expanded polystyrene (EPS) are difficult to reform to their original condition, meaning the product can’t be recycled in a cost-effective way. Of course, this single use nature means biodegradation is an issue, too.
7. Clothing
   Thrifting has surged in popularity over the years, with as much as 62% of Gen Z and Millennials looking for an item secondhand before they buy a new version of it. This growing demand is an excellent sign for the waste sector. Not only does fabric from discarded clothing risk getting entangled in machinery, it can also take years to biodegrade if sent to landfill — contributing to toxic air pollution in the process.
8. Food scraps
   Organic waste should never be added to recycling piles, because they spoil recyclables and render them unprocessable. Instead, it should be leveraged to generate compost — a nutrient-rich resource that helps curb carbon emissions and reduce waste. This could, in turn, be used to nurture vegetation utilised in the campus cafeterias, for example.
9. Hazardous materials
   Batteries, chemicals, and fluorescent bulbs should also never be thrown into recycling bins. These toxic materials can be released into the environment, posing serious threats to human and environmental health. Most local recycling centres will have a designated container for hazardous materials, so check local authority guidelines for more information.
10. Non-recyclable plastics
    Think all plastics can be recycled? Think again. A number of materials undermine this process, including those that are: too difficult to separate; contaminated by food and other substances; or composed of certain types of plastic resins that are not easily recyclable, such as thermosetting plastics like melamine and some mixed-material items like chip bags.

How biotechnology can help combat contaminants in waste streams

To combat the issues posed by contaminants in university waste streams, innovative solutions are emerging. Biotechnology, for instance, offers promising avenues for converting organic waste into valuable resources.

Solutions like our XO systems combine robust engineering with bio-stimulants to enable rapid aerobic digestion of organic matter, turning contaminated waste into Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF). These technologies help waste handlers bring non-recyclable waste into the circular economy, reducing the overall environmental impact and setting an example for sustainable practices that students and society at large can emulate.

Learn more about our process here.

Get in touch, to see how you could create a better, more sustainable university campus, without increasing costs.