Disposal Guide

Sometimes it can be confusing to know the correct or best way to dispose of materials that you no longer want, that are broken or that are waste. If you have any questions not answered below, please email Tom Bohan, Waste and Recycling Manager.

 

Waste streams

We have a dry mixed recycling system in place. This means that almost all materials produced by the average office can be recycled together. We separate our waste into several different waste streams:

  • Mixed dry recycling: All paper and clean card products; empty drinks cans; empty and rinsed food tins; all plastic bottles and clean plastic food containers; aerosol cans; and tetrapac cartons.
  • General waste: Polystyrene, drinking glasses, contaminated food waste and other items not mentioned above should go into the general waste bins.
  • Batteries: Collection point at the Recycling Zone near Dr Bike, Estates loading bay, Britten House, Constable Terrace and University Village.
  • Food waste: Composting bins (small brown/ green caddies indoors, or external brown bins) take food, wooden stirrers, coffee grounds, tea bags and other biodegradeable materials.
  • Glass: Bottles and jars go into the external black bins.
  • Electrical items: There are collection points around the campus - Recycling Zone near Dr Bike, University Village and additional points for office/lab items: SCI, BMRC, and CHE loading bays. 
  • Textiles: Collection points at the Recycling Zone near Dr Bike, Constable Terrace, and The Village.

 

 

Our waste contract means that nearly everything made of a single material can go in the same bin.

Help us separate items from food/ compostable items, plastic-lined materials (e.g. coffee cups or sandwich containers), polystyrene (and other expanded plastics), glass, and electrical or hazardous items:

  • to be environmental
  • save UEA money
  • follow the law

Does your equipment have a plug or a battery?

Please place small waste electrical items in the grey Pure Planet waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) bins.

Recycling points:

  • Recycling Zone near Dr Bike
  • University Village (outside Larch)
  • SCI loading bay
  • CHE loading bay
  • BMRC loading bay

 

Large electrical items and lighting (fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent lamps, lightbulbs and LED lamps) MUST NOT be placed in the grey WEEE bins.  

Need to book a collection for lighting and large electrical items (such as TVs, monitors, microwaves, printers, and refrigeration equipment)?

 Please contact Estates Helpdesk on ext. 2121.

Note: You MUST also read the section on data security before using WEEE bins. 

We do not send general waste to landfill (even though some of the general waste bins are still labelled 'landfill') but you can help to reduce the amount that we send to generate energy from waste.

Always send these to general:

  • Contaminated packaging
  • Crisp packets
  • Reinforced glass
  • Polystyrene/ styrofoam

DO NOT use general for hazardous, recyclable or compostable waste.

 

ShredStation bins can be used for all confidential documents.

If the bin is full, additional bins or collections can be requested by contacting our team.

For disks, tapes, memory sticks, CDs and DVDs  containing confidential information please email Tom Bohan, Waste and Recycling Manager.

Contact the Sustainability Team with any issues, questions, or to find out about disposal routes for hazardous materials (e.g. waste paint, fluourescent tubes, chemicals, or fridges)

 

Glass

Banks and black glass bins

All glass bottles and jars

Please empty and rinse before disposal

Recycling points:

  • Village courtyard
  • West Car Park
  • Suffolk Road
  • Recycling Zone near Dr Bike
  • Wheelie bins outside each residential building and most other campus buildings.

Items containing UEA data MUST NOT be disposed of in waste bins. Contact the IT Service Desk to arrange a collection of your items for secure data destruction on ext. 2345 or by emailing it.servicedesk@uea.ac.uk

Data containing items include:

  • PCs and laptops
  • Mobile phones
  • Portable devices: such as tablets, cameras, sound recorders and video cameras
  • Hard disk drives and USB data sticks
  • Printers or MFDs may also contain data

 

Personal devices containing non-UEA data should be wiped or the hard drive destroyed prior to disposal in the grey Pure Planet WEEE bins.

 

Kitchen waste

Any waste food items can be disposed of in the brown or green caddies in kitchens across campus. Avoid liquid waste or packaging.

Did you know: Our Student Union uses compostable cups and materials for all catering. All other campus catering items are not biodegradable and should go to recycling.

  • Food scraps (cooked/raw)
  • Coffee grind and tea bags
  • Wooden stirrers