Recycling: A-Z
If you're throwing away something that someone else could still possibly use, you can advertise it on Warwick SwapLink opens in a new window to reduce the amount of waste we produce.
Or if the item you no longer need has some potential value, you may be able to sell it through UniGreenSchemeLink opens in a new window and get some money back for it.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact sustainability@warwick.ac.uk or wasteandrecycling@warwick.ac.uk.
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A
- Aerosols
You can put empty aerosols etc in either the green mixed-recycling bins in your office or residence, or in one of the blue mixed recycling bins found at the recycling points around campus.- Aluminium Cans and Foil
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You can put empty drinks cans etc in either the green mixed-recycling bins in your office or residence, or in one of the blue mixed recycling bins found at the recycling points around campus.
B
- Batteries
Do not put batteries in general waste bins.
Put your batteries in the red battery recycling box in the lobby/post area of your building.
For large batteries or 'button' batteries please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk.
- Bikes
If you can't sell or donate your bike please please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to arrange for your bike to be collected and recycled.
- Black Plastic Trays (from Food & Drink)
If these can't be returned to Food and Drink please recycle these in the blue mixed recycle bins in the recycling points around campus or the green recycling bin in your department.
- Books
Please sell or donate your books if possible.
If it's just a few books, you can put them either in the green mixed recycling bins in your residence or office.
For recycling of books please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk.
- Box Files
If they're still useable, re-label them and re-use them. If not, put them in the big, blue mixed recycling bins at one of the recycling points around campus.
For bulk recycling please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk.
- Brochures
If you've got a lot of brochures to recycle, take them to one of the blue mixed recycling bins at the campus recycling points.
If it's just a few brochures, you can put them either in the green mixed recycling bins in your residence or office.
For bulk recycling please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk.
C
- Cables and Wires
Please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk.
- Cans
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You can put drinks cans etc in either the green mixed-recycling bins in your office or residence, or in one of the blue mixed recycling bins found at the recycling points around campus.
- Cardboard
Put small cardboard items in the Green Mixed Recycling bins and larger items in the Blue Mixed Recycling points around campus.
Make sure you flatten any boxes before putting them in.
For bulk recycling please submit a request via tthe Estates ServiceDesk.
- Card (Thin)
Thin card can go in either Green Mixed Recycling bin or into the Pink Sacks.
- Cartons/Tetra Pak
Cartons can go in green sacks.
- Cassettes (Audio and Video)
Please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to arrange collection. If there's any sensitive data on the cassette in question, please remove the tape from the cassette before getting in touch.
- CDs
Put disks in the disk collection containers in the Library (Lib 2 Foyer, Library), University House, Avon Building (ground floor), WBS Scarman (student lounge) and the Medical School restaurant foyer.
- Clothes and Other Fabric
Put these in the red British Heart Foundation clothing and textile banks.
You can find these near Lakeside, Cryfield/Redfern, Claycroft, Jack Martin, Rootes, the Sports Centre, Heronbank, Bluebell, Sherbourne, Tocil, Aurthur Vick and the Westwood recycling points.
- Computers and Computer Accessories
There's a special set of procedures for IT waste (including desktop and notebook computers, monitors, keyboards, mice, printers and scanners).
Visit the IT website to find out more.
- Confidential Waste Paper
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You should put this into confidential waste sacks or into the locked confidential waste bin. Please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to order confidential waste bags and to arrange collection. Please see here for further guidanceLink opens in a new window.
Departments retain responsibility for the storage of confidential waste items (including their shredding, where appropriate) prior to collection. It is the responsibility of Departments to identify dedicated secure areas for the holding of these confidential waste items prior to collection by Estates.
- Crisps
Crisp packets can be recycled outside Terrace Bar in the Students' Union (orange topped bin). There are various collections in departments which are collected and moved to this central location.
- Cups
Please see the section below 'D' on disposable cups
D
- Disposable cups
Please put in the non-recyclables bin
Though they are made largely of paper, disposable coffee cups are lined with plastic polyethylene, which is tightly bonded to the paper making the cups waterproof and therefore able to contain liquid. In addition, the difficulty of recycling coffee cups is increased by the fact they are contaminated with the drink. We do not have the facilities to recycle any cups on campus, even if they are marketed as recyclable or compostable.
- DVDs
Put disks in the disk collection containers in the Library (floor 2), University House, Avon Building (ground floor), WBS Scarman (student lounge) and the Medical School restaurant foyer.
E
- Electrical Equipment
If you've got any electrical waste, please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to arrange collection.
- Envelopes
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Re-use envelopes where possible, otherwise recycle them in the office paper recycling bin (pink sacks).
F
- Floppy Disks
Put disks in the disk collection containers in the Library foyer, Library 2, IT Westwood Ground Floor, WBS Scarman (student lounge) and the Medical School restaurant foyer.
- Fluorescent Tubes
Please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to arrange collection. University electricians usually deal with these themselves.
- Food
Put food in the general waste bins if a Food Waste bin is not available - do not contaminate the recycling bins with it. We're currently investigating expanding the food waste collection system throughout campus.
- Fridges and Freezers
As with all electrical waste, please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to arrange collection.
- Furniture
All furniture for disposal must be listed on WarwickSwap for 2 weeks, giving other departments the opportunity to reuse these items. For removal of furniture use the portering service.
Contact furniture@warwick.ac.uk for more advice.
G
- Glass Bottles and Jars
Glass Bottles can be put into the Clean Recycling bins across campus. In Halls of Residence Broken Glass should be disposed of via the Yellow Sharps Bin, in Departments Broken Glass should be swept up carefully and placed into a cardboard box which is to be secured/sealed and a notice attached to the box ‘HAZARD BROKEN GLASS’. Once this is complete please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to arrange collection.
- Glass (Toughened)
Toughened glass must not be placed in the glass banks. Put it in the general waste bin.
Examples of toughened glass are: pyrex oven dishes, microwave glass plates and other ovenware.
For any items of toughened glass too large to fit in a general waste bin, please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to arrange collection.
I
- IT Waste
There's a special set of procedures for IT waste (including desktop and notebook computers, monitors, keyboards, mice, printers and scanners).
Visit the IT website to find out more.
J
- Journals
If it's just a few journals, you can put them either in the green mixed recycling bins in your residence or office.
If you've got a lot of journals to recycle please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk.
L
- Light Bulbs
Please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to arrange collection. University electricians usually deal with these themselves.
M
- Magazines
If it's just a few magazines, you can put them either in the green mixed recycling bins in your residence or office.
If you've got a lot of magazines to recycle please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to arrange collection.
- Metal
Please take any waste metal to the Boiler House Yard compound. Any electricals will be removed by the Waste and Recycling Team at the compound.
For bulk metal collections please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk.
- Metal Cans
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You can put drinks cans etc in either the green mixed-recycling bins in your office or residence, or in one of the blue mixed recycling bins found at the recycling points around campus.
- Mobile Phones and Batteries
Take out the SIM card, and keep hold of it to make sure you don't suffer identity fraud.
Take out the battery and put it in the red battery box in the lobby/post area of your building.
For the rest of the phone, as with all electrical equipment, please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to arrange collection.
N
- Nappies
You can't recycle nappies - please put them in the sanitary bins in toilets.
- Newspaper
If it's just a few newspapers, you can put them either in the green mixed recycling bins in your residence or office.
If you've got a lot of newspaper to recycle please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk.
O
- Office Waste Paper
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There are pink sacks in your office for any non-confidential office waste paper.
Any confidential waste paper should go in a confidential waste sack. Contact the Estates Helpdesk (024765 75100) to order confidential waste bags and to arrange collection.
Departments retain responsibility for the storage of confidential waste items (including their shredding, where appropriate) prior to collection. It is the responsibility of Departments to identify dedicated secure areas for the holding of these confidential waste items prior to collection by Estates Porters.
P
- Paint
Do not pour paint down the drain - doing this is illegal since it damages the environment and poses a health risk.
Contact the Waste and Recycling Team (wasteandrecycling@warwick.ac.uk) and we'll deal with the paint.
- Paper
- Offices have dedicated waste paper recycling bins, with pink sacks.
Paper can go in the mixed recycling bins in your office or kitchen.
- Paper Towels
The issue with recycling paper towels and napkins is that many of these products were actually created from recycled paper, so they've already been through the recycling process several times. Furthermore, a dirty paper towel or napkin could harbour all kinds of nastiness that could ruin an entire batch of recyclables.
- Plastic
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Put plastic in either the green sacks in your office/residence, or in one of the blue mixed recycling bins around campus.
- Printer (Ink) cartridges
There are printer cartridge recycling boxes in most buildings.
If your department doesn’t have its own method of recycling cartridges, contact the Waste and Recycling Team (wasteandrecycling@warwick.ac.uk) - they'll talk to your department’s administrator.
- Printers
Please submit a request via Estates ServiceDesk.
R
- Research Equipment
If you have any surplus or outdated research equipment, the UniGreenScheme team may be able to help.
- Ring Binders
If they're still working, put ring binders back in your departments stationary cupboard. If they're broken, put them in general waste.
If you have surplus for reuse please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to arrange collection.
S
All Sharps/Broken Glass should be swept up carefully and placed into a cardboard box or appropriate container which is to be secured/sealed and a notice attached to the box ‘HAZARD BROKEN GLASS’. Once this is complete please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to arrange collection.
T
- Thin Card
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Thin card can go in either Green Mixed Recycling bin or into the Pink Sacks.
V
- Video Players
Please submit collection request via Estates ServiceDesk.
W
- WEEE
WEEE stands for "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment".
If you've got any electrical waste, please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk to arrange collection.
- Wood
Take wood to the Waste and Recycling Team at the Boiler House Waste Compound. We'll make sure it gets recycled.
For waste wood collections please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk.
- Wooden Pallettes
We'll collect wooden palettes, please submit a request via the Estates ServiceDesk.