Brighton University recycling drive targets food and wood waste

The University of Brighton has appointed DS Smith Recycling to introduce separate food and wood waste collections across its Sussex campus to increase recycling levels.


DS Smith will handle the waste generated across the estate’s 30 sites – including faculty buildings, halls of residence and student union bars used by 23,000 students and 2,600 staff – and process the majority of it at its recycling facility in Croydon.

DS Smith Recycling has been targeted to improve the university’s 25% recycling rate with a number of initiatives and training sessions. As well as separate food waste collections and segregating wood waste produced by the architecture and rrt departments, used cooking oil will be recycled.

More specific and occasional waste streams will be collected on an ad hoc basis including WEEE, hazardous and confidential waste. DS Smith Recycling will also produce detailed reports on monthly mixed dry recycling and general waste arisings on a site-by-site basis.

Brighton University’s assistant director of estates Tim Bretherick said: “We are focused on improving our environmental performance across our activities and recycling more and landfilling less is an important starting point.

“DS Smith Recycling was the obvious partner to help us deliver our objectives as it sees landfill only as a last resort. With its expertise, we should be able to make an important difference to the amount of waste the university produces and find more sustainable outlets for the majority of materials.”

DS Smith Recycling’s national commercial manager Tim Price added: “We’re delighted to be supporting the University of Brighton in initiating new processes to help greater quantities be recycled into new products and materials.

“Crucial to this is in buy-in with the estates team, staff and students to make sustainable waste management an integrated part of everyday operations. We are providing support and training for this where appropriate.”

Maxine Perella

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