UNIVERSITY OF TEESSIDE DEPARMENT OF CAMPUS FACILITIES WASTE STRATEGY/RECYCLING - UPDATE ON POSITION FEBRUARY 2009

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1 UNIVERSITY OF TEESSIDE DEPARMENT OF CAMPUS FACILITIES WASTE STRATEGY/RECYCLING - UPDATE ON POSITION FEBRUARY 2009 The University has always seen itself as part of the community and working for the community whether it be the immediate local community or the much wider community which is helped by a highly educated workforce. As one of the largest employers on Teesside, the University is very conscious of its impact on the community and the environment and its overall corporate social responsibility ( CSR ). For a number of years, the University has worked towards being more environmentally conscious and this is only reinforced by the growing financial incentives to actively expand its recycling measures. The Government is progressively discouraging waste material going to landfill through several pieces of legislation and at the same time encouraging recycling initiatives through organisations such as the Carbon Trust and WRAP as part of its environmental protection agenda. This University currently spends around 150 k pa on waste disposal of all kinds. Through various University initiatives being implemented over recent years we are aiming to significantly reduce these costs and improve the University s green credentials. All staff, students and University related stakeholders generally are encouraged to familiarise themselves with this document and the appended Waste Hierarchy to assist the University in demonstrating its commitment to the green agenda and preservation of the environment. The attached appendix together with this paper shows some current known activities which the University is actively engaged in but if there are others not mentioned here please the secretary of the Environment Sub Committee,Lesley Lambert@tees.ac.uk who will arrange to update this paper. The Government have imposed an 8/tonne per year increase (up from the original 3/tonne pa) in the costs of leading waste to landfill over the current three year 1

2 period so these costs to the University are set to rise significantly, giving initial impetus to recycling. A further piece of legislation which is not applicable to waste at this time but included within it for future years is currently applicable to energy use, and places an obligation on the University to produce a Carbon Management Action Plan ( CMAP ) under its Carbon Reduction Commitment ( CRC ) programme. This effectively directs the University to assess its environmental impact in the form of its carbon footprint stemming from all of its activities with a commitment to progressively reduce this footprint in line with the Government s own targets. Under the CRC and CMAP this University is currently preparing to buy approximately 140k worth of carbon credits in 2011 to meet its projected carbon demands for energy usage. In future years there will be a need to similarly identify the carbon credits applicable to carbon loading derived from waste and before that it is likely all carbon resulting from the University s transport activities may come into the CRC Hence in addition to the University s own desires to become more environmentally conscious and to contribute to this overall corporate social responsibility ( CSR ), there are growing financial incentives to actively introduce recycling measures. There are a number of supporting pieces of legislation which have been in place for several years that the University has been obliged to comply with such as the Hazardous Waste Regulations and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment ( WEEE ) Regulations. These involve identifying and streaming out particular waste produce such as white goods (fridges/freezers under WEEE) and recycling them through specialist waste contractors. The following statement is an update on the current position the University has already achieved within the various waste streams (i.e. general waste, paper, cardboard, glass, etc) and the University s aims and commitments for continuous improvement to promote recycling initiatives. ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER 2

3 Campus Facilities are currently putting together a case within the Development Plan for a dedicated member of staff to drive forward recycling initiatives across the campus. TARGET To establish an Environmental Officer post within 2009/10. GENERAL WASTE In accordance with an original 1975 EU Directive subsequently redefined in 1991 the Waste Framework Directive (75/442/EEC as amended) describe waste as waste shall mean any substance or object which the holder (this University)intends to discard or is required to discard. Essentially for the University s purpose this relates to any material which cannot be reused or recycled and falls into the categories described below. This is described as general waste and the University CF staff collect this through various means and it is transported to waste skips (for those buildings north of Southfield Road) and to a recently established compactor located in the Students Union goods yard for most (not all) buildings to the south of the campus. This waste is collected by a contractor for transport to landfill for which the University pays c. 80k pa at present with costs set to rise significantly in the next few years through a government imposed increased levy. There is, therefore, several very good reasons why the university should regularly review, encourage and grow the streaming and recycling activities on campus. The Waste Strategy being developed proposes the establishment of a central waste compactor processing general waste (already partly established in the Students Union goods yard) and a number of satellite collection facilities strategically located for clusters of buildings on campus. A waste collection vehicle (in CF Development 3

4 Plan 2009/10) will then collect from these satellite facilities and transport to the central waste processing area for compaction or alternative processing. TARGET To attempt to measure more accurately the general waste stream and to reduce the overall volume going to landfill and to promote the purchase of an electric collection vehicle and trailer in 2009/10. PAPER AND CARDBOARD At present a limited amount of paper recycling takes place on an ad hoc basis in some Schools and Departments with all paper and cardboard separated out and put into recycling bins located in these offices. This is collected daily by the cleaning staff along with the general waste and then sent to collection points for the contractor. At the current time the arrangement in place with our waste collection contractor is for mixed paper and cardboard which is separated and processed by them for recycling. Approximately 12x1250 litre Euro carts are taken away daily for recycling during term time. During the Summer this drops to 9-10 Euro carts. The cardboard content of this waste stream amounts to approximately 12 to 15 tonnes per year. TARGET To maintain 90%+ of all cardboard recycling and increase the amount of paper recycling in line with the University s intentions to move towards bin less offices and to process all cardboard separately through a University purchased cardboard baler within 2009/10. INDIVIDUAL BIN LESS OFFICES The two latest Capital Development buildings (Phoenix and Athena and for all currently planned buildings) are classed as bin less whereby individual offices do not have waste bins and occupiers are required to separate out their waste streams at source and place their waste in conveniently located recycle bins. It is likely there 4

5 will be three waste streams catered for, paper, plastic cups and bottles and general waste in the early stages of introduction. It is currently planned to roll this out to the VCE office, Campus Facilities ( CF ) and the School of Computing with further plans for the remainder of the University in the next few years. Volunteer Environmental Champions have been identified in each of these pilot units to assist in taking this initiative forward. In other Universities this has proved a very successful exercise with claims of up to 75% recycling from individual offices with a campus wide average of 50% to 60%. For Schools/Departments wishing to recycling paper and/or plastic before moving to the bin less option, if they identify to CF the bins within their Schools/Departments they are using for recycled paper and/or plastic then CF will recycle the contents. TARGET To rollout to six Schools and Departments within 2009/10 and a further six in 2010/11. LAMPS AND FLOURCESCENT TUBES ALL lamps are collected by CF staff to three collection points and are processed by a specialist contractor for recycling. There are approximately 3m³ to 4m³ of small lamps and 12m³ to 16m³ of tubes collected and processed per year. TARGET To maintain 100% streaming and processing within 2009/10 and beyond. OFFICE EQUIPMENT - PC s, PRINTERS, ETC ALL office equipment, PC s, printers, clocks, keyboards, etc, which have not been cascaded or made available to other users in the University are collected to one location and processed by a specialist contractor for recycling. 5

6 All Schools and Departments are encouraged to re use their IT equipment by cascading within their unit or by offering to others via the University Purchasing Officer s procedure before they are sent for recycling. TARGET To continue to encourage re-use within the University (and externally if viable ) and to maintain100% streaming and processing as currently within 2009/10 and beyond. BATTERIES At present there are only ad hoc arrangements by volunteers within Schools/ Departments who collect and recycle batteries on behalf of various charities. Some do end up in the IT waste stream. In the next few months, CF plan to initially locate three or four battery disposal bins on the campus in strategic locations, to be collected and re-cycled through a specialist hazardous waste contract in accordance with legislation. TARGET To establish four local collection points and organise specialist disposal in 2009/10. WHITE GOODS FRIDGES, FREEZERS, MICROWAVES, COOKERS ALL white goods are collected by CF staff and held in one location to be collected and processed for recycling by a specialist contractor in accordance with legislation. Approximately 40 to 50 fridges and freezers, with a small number of microwaves and cookers, are processed each year. TARGET To maintain 100% of streaming and specialist processing within 2009/10 and beyond. GLASS 6

7 ALL glass is recycled. This is mainly (90% plus) produced by the Students Union in one location and collected and processed by a specialist contractor. Further facilities are planned for more general collection and recycling across the campus but it is thought this will be a limited volume. TARGET- To maintain 100% of streaming and processing within 2009/10 and beyond. INK CARTRIDGES Similarly to batteries, at present there are ad hoc volunteer arrangements within Schools and Departments who collect and recycle cartridges on behalf of various charities. CF are now intending to add a further bin adjacent the three or four battery recycling bins for small printer type cartridges (not the larger commercial size cartridges as some of them are quite large). The Schools and Departments who are currently administering the ad hoc arrangements will then be invited to use these facilities. The larger machine cartridges for the time being should, for the time being, be classed as IT waste and this will be streamed and processed by the specialist contractor retained for this purpose. The School of Health and Social Care do currently re-cycle branded large cartridges through the Northern Air Ambulance charity and the University intends to discuss the scope for expanding these arrangements. TARGET To introduce four recycling points for ink cartridges in 2009/10. FOOD WASTE At present all food waste is put into the general waste stream and ends up in landfill. Alternatives to recycle into compost are being examined and planned for such as the Rocket digester and/or worm digesters. 7

8 A recent exercise by CF catering staff identified the potential for this waste stream as less than 400 litres per week in term time and an approximate sized Rocket digester as costing 14k plus VAT, together with not inconsiderable running costs. Some other HE institutions of similar size to Teesside (and larger) have suggested this route is not viable. The alternative worm digesters although much cheaper, have a potential problem with general acceptance, however, are showing benefits in those establishments who have accepted this method of recycling. TARGET To visit other University s who have both versions of waste food processing in use and make recommendations for the University of Teesside. FURNITURE ALL furniture declared as waste by Schools and Departments (after offering for reuse) is collected by CF staff to one point. The furniture is then generally broken down into its main constituent parts of metal and wood and either sent to scrap for recycling or put into the general waste stream. The University is looking at potential repair and re-cycling of furniture through organisations such as FRADE in Stockton or the East Durham Partnership or the national Green Works organisation. TARGET To maintain 100% recycled in 2009/10 and beyond. OIL, PAINT, CONTAMINATED WASTE ALL oil, paint and contaminated rags, etc, (generally produced through CF activities) is collected by CF staff to one point and processed by a specialist contractor. TARGET To maintain 100% disposal through appropriate methods as currently practised and investigate further re-cycling routes for 2009/10 and beyond. SUSTEES INITIATIVE 8

9 As part of the current series of seminars and activities within this initiative, CF have assisted the organisers by: Gathering together a variety of waste materials for young school children coming to participate in a particular event to create something from waste. CF have assembled some elements of this waste for collection by the organisers such as furniture, IT waste, bottles, cans, cups and plastic/polystyrene containers. In addition, as part of this initiative, three of the seven catering outlets, have had new can and plastic bottle recycle bins positioned adjacent and the plan is to expand this facility to all catering outlets after this event in 2009/10. Denis Minchell Head of Estates 28 January

10 APPENDIX THE WASTE HIERARCHY It is widely accepted both within government publicity and in the wider community that a waste hierarchy exists and can generally be represented as below to encourage all organisations to achieve increasing sustainability. All University staff and students and all stakeholders generally are encouraged to recognise and practice this hierarchy to reduce our environmental impact when making the initial choice of raw materials and equipment and in their use, reuse and eventual disposal. Some examples of practices already in use in the University within each section of the waste hierarchy are listed below but are by no means exhaustive and the Environmental Sub-Committee would encourage all staff to be innovative and to get involved in these activities as well as sharing their ideas with the rest of the University community via the Secretary (Lesley.Lambert@tees.ac.uk). Those ideas will eventually be put on the web site for access by all staff and students. THE WASTE HIERARCHY 1.Reduce 2.Reuse 3.Recycle 4.Recover Increasing sustainability 5.Disposal 10

11 EXAMPLES OF UNIVERSITY S CURRENT PRACTICE IN THESE AREAS 1. Reduce The use of very modern building management systems ( bms ) to control individual building heating and ventilation systems, use of low energy lights and lighting control systems, increased insulation levels, use of double glazing, awareness campaigns, incorporating material into the curriculum, engaging with the student body. The University is currently looking at software to switch off all PC s overnight whenever possible. 2. Reuse Cascading the use of IT and furniture within a School/Department, and/or offering to other Schools or Departments or external bodies (where viable). 3. Recycle See the main paper for current position on each waste stream. In addition all vegetation or trees and branches lopped (for safety reasons ) are cut up and used for mulch for the grounds. Grass cuttings from central area is collected and made into compost. 11

12 4. Recover Some furniture is recovered and reused. 5. Disposal The main paper describes the University s activity in terms of disposal and recycling of each waste stream. 12