Plans and policies
Our policy commitment: to manage waste efficiently, minimising waste generated at source and increase reuse and recycling.
Keele University introduced a full waste and recycling scheme in 2010 and since then has seen our recycling rate rise from under 10% to now over 50%. We have also introduced various initiatives to reduce waste and recycle, such as our partnership with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to encourage students living in Halls of Residence to donate unwanted items.
Keele University campus is set on 600 acres and waste is generated from a range of sources including academic teaching buildings, laboratories and central services buildings, Halls of Residence, Campus grounds, and construction activity. The University’s main waste streams include:
- General
- Dry Mixed Recycling (DMR)
- Food
- Green / campus grounds
- Glass
- WEEE
- Confidential
- Construction and refurbishment
We aim to improve the environmental impact of waste generated, primarily through ensuring that materials are treated as far up the waste hierarchy as possible, i.e. trying to prevent waste being created in the first instance, then prioritising reuse, recycling and recovery of materials over their disposal.
Our key objectives
Objective 1: To manage waste responsibly and in line with all relevant legislation and regulation.
Objective 2: a) To work in partnership with our contractor to continually reduce the environmental impact of our waste, by using the waste hierarchy as a guiding principle, and as a result, control waste management costs.
b) Our waste contractor provides accurate monthly waste consumptions (Kg) data relevant for all waste streams so that the University can understand the quantities of its waste sent for re-use, recycling, recovery or final disposal.
Objective 3: Make our waste management system easy to use and understand for all people at the University.
We have also made a commitment of “Zero waste direct to landfill” which means that any waste that doesn't get reused or recycled is sent for disposal to energy from waste plants. Less than 1% of the University's waste is disposed of to landfill (excluding construction waste).