Now in its eighteenth year, Recycling Week is a time for all companies, universities, governments, and the public to come together and help galvanise efforts to recycle. As we approach COP26, the Climate Crisis is increasingly considered as one of the defining crises of our time and the ability to recycle and re-use materials is a central plank in the global response.

Great Big Green Week is a nationwide celebration of action on climate change, taking place across the UK from the 18-26 September. Communities across the country are coming together for a week of over 4,500 events confronting climate change and celebrating achievements so far.

Both Recycling Week and Great Big Green Week are unique opportunities to realigning the nation’s effort towards environmentally friendly activities, as well as reflect on the initiatives taking place here at the University of Warwick.

Our targets are ambitious, but achievable. We aim to cut the overall volume of waste generated on campus by one per cent per annum between 2021 and 2025 and increase recycling rates to 50 per cent by 2025 and to 65 per cent by 2035. Furthermore, we will look to maintain our zero per cent disposal to landfill record annually and continue to promote recycling with all staff and students.

To stay ahead of the curve, and come good on our commitments, our innovative sustainability practices hope to keep the wheels of the circle economy moving.

During student arrivals week, we will host a Pay As You Feel Market for kitchen and household items, as well as clothing. In partnership with Emmaus, a UK charity, goods that might otherwise have gone to waste are saved and re-sold on campus. In 2018 alone, Emmaus saved more than 12,000 tonnes of goods from going to waste.

On campus, swap shops for clothes and goods are regularly hosted throughout the year, whilst a repair café (reStore) is available to our community in the engineering department on campus to promote the re-use of electrical appliances.

In partnership with UniKitOut, we also give students the opportunity to pre-order kitchen equipment and other items to be delivered to their rooms before arrival.

The University of Warwick’s Estate Office has developed a Waste and Resources Statement of Principles, to provide the University Community with a clear understanding of the University’s position and vision with regards to recycling, and green initiatives. It can be read in full here.

The University and its 24 sustainability societies and groups on campus will use Great Big Green Week and Recycling Week as timely opportunities to reflect on our achievements so far, and what further actions are to be taken to tackle the climate crisis.

Join us, as we look to take collective responsibility for our planet and its health.