What is Sydney University doing?

• General Campus Waste
• Paper and Cardboard
• Toner and Print Cartridges
• E-Waste
• Battery Recycling
• Garden Organic Recycling
• Hazardous liquids and solids
• Construction and Demolition Materials

General Campus Waste

As of June 2011 the University has changed the way it handles the general waste stream. The recycling of Office Paper (blue bins) has not changed, and this resource will continue to go to VISY recycling at Botany where it is pulped as high grade office paper and used in recycled products. The remainder of University waste (commonly referred to as general waste) is no longer being sent to the Veolia Bio-reactor site at Goulburn, and instead will undergo a two part resource recovery process, where paper, organics and other recyclates are captured for re-use/recycling.

Waste collected around the campus is first sent to a waste transfer station in Wetherill Park. Here larger amounts of cardboard, paper, metal, plastic wrap are sorted from other waste and sent straight for recycling. The remaining waste is then transported to SITA’s Kemps Creek SAWT Advanced Resource Recovery Facility. At this facility a combination of automated machinery and manual labour ensures the majority of common recyclates (PET, aluminium cans, metals etc) are recovered from the waste stream. Organics and compostable waste are also collected and sent to the rear of the facility where large heated tunnels are used to turn this waste into commercial grade compost. Any remaining waste which cannot be recycled is then sent to the adjacent Kemps Creek Landfill.

This change means that the University is now redirecting 40-60% of our general waste from landfill. This brings the University’s overall diversion from landfill rate (of both general waste and office paper), to around 75% of all waste produced.

The University waste system is currently being reviewed with the aim to introduce an new more comprehensive resource recovery system across all waste steams in August 2012. If you have any comments or ideas, please send an

Paper and Cardboard

The University has a successful recycling collection for paper and cardboard on all campuses. Material is sent to a plant at Botany where it is recycled into a range of post consumer waste products. Click the link to find out more about paper recycling. Large yellow and blue bins are located in print rooms and offices. Look for paper and cardboard recycling signs to locate your closest bin. Some areas have large paper bags for office paper where there are only stairs in buildings and these are available through the e-service desk. If your area requires more bins for recycling, an assessment can be made by CIS staff and arrangements made for new bins. Contact the e-service desk.

Don’t have a sticker on your bin? Download a paper version here or contact the Sustainble Campus Team.

Doubled-Sided Printing

Double sided printing is a great way you can help reduce the amount of waste produced each year by the University. Paper and cardboard currently accounts for around 40% of the University's total waste production. By choosing to conserve paper through printing double-sided we can significantly reduce this volume of waste, as well as saving energy and money associated with transport, storage and printing of documents. The following resources will help you to change your computer settings to automatically print double-sided, and to promote double-sded printing in your workplace.

• Guide to change your computer settings to print double-sided.
• Please print double-sided copier room signs.

Toner and Print Cartridges

Many sections of the University recycle their used toner cartridges through the Planet Ark ‘Close the Loop’ program, Cartridge Rescue or Corporate Express. Toner recycling is a free service with old cartridges commonly reconditioned or recycled. Several drop off points on the Camperdown and Darlington campuses are available for staff (see table below). If there is not one in your area, why not get one started? Simply contact one of the companies above and order a toner cartridge recycling box for your office.

What Can Be Recycled? All inkjets, laser cartridges, toner bottles, drum kits, fuser kits, PCUs of any brand from any fax, photocopier or printer can be recycled with zero waste to landfill from the recycling process.

Want more information about cartridge recycling? Click here to visit the Planet Ark or the Cartridge Rescue website.

Is there a Toner Cartridge Recycling Box near you?
Click here for a list of all the current Toner Cartridge Recycling Box locations throughout the University.

E-Waste

Electronic waste (e-waste) refers to any item that was once plugged into an electric socket and includes computers, printers, mobile phones, faxes, servers, audio-visual items, heaters, cooking and scientific equipment. In 2005 a student research project estimated that the University of Sydney owned over 20,000 desktop computers that would eventually be discarded. Computers contain heavy metals, including lead, mercury and cadmium that are toxic to the environment. They can leach from landfills to contaminate groundwater. On the other hand, e- waste also contains heavy metals, such as gold and copper, that have commercial value once recovered..

In 2006 the University trialled an e-waste collection at the main Camperdown and Darlington campuses. About 20 tonnes of materials were collected. In 2007 the program was extended to other University of Sydney campuses. Since then around 120 tonnes of e-waste has been collected and stripped down to its various material components and recovered and recycled for reuse. The contractors, Sims E-Recyclers, can provide certificates of destruction for the hard-drives to ensure that any data on the computers is destroyed and un-readable. Less than 6% of the e-waste collected ends up in landfill.

Want to know more about the Sims e-Recycling plant?

How to recycle your e-waste on Campus

Electronic equipment must first be processed through the Assets Management system in Finance. Once this is complete, please contact to find out where to deliver items for temporary storage where they will be collected for recycling. For very large amounts of e-waste (eg. an entire computer lab being replaced), where delivery to temporary storage would be impractical, on-site collection and direct delivery to the recyclers can be arranged.

For all questions regarding e-waste please contact Waste Services.

Reducing e-waste in the future

In the past, Schools and Administrative Units have purchased electronic equipment that gets stockpiled once obsolete. The University’s purchasing policy now promotes the leasing of computer equipment, including a product take back service. The more this option is taken up, the less likely such clearouts will be required in future.

Battery Recycling

The University currently produces an estimated 780 kilograms of batteries waste each year(1). Although some of these batteries are relatively harmless to the environment when sent to landfill, many batteries contain chemicals that are toxic, such as cadmium, mercury, lead and mercury. In landfill batteries often leak into the soil and can end up affecting waterways and the local environment. In order to stop this happening - and to recycle some of the precious metals contained in these batteries - the University has started a battery recycling initiative. If you are currently producing regular battery waste in your office, you can now recycle these batteries right here on campus.

What types of batteries can you recycle on Campus?

The University battery recycling system has been designed to take all types of single use and rechargeable batteries, including those from mobile phones. This includes alkaline, lithium, carbon zinc, nickel-cadmium (NiCad), nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion to name a few. The only exception to this is lead acid batteries. Lead acid batteries need to be recycled separately. To recycle lead acid batteries, please visit the OHS website to organise a collection.

Note: If you are recycling e-waste through the University e-waste service, please do not remove batteries from electronic equipment - they will be removed and recycled by the e-waste recycling providers.

Want to know more about the battery recycling?

Where can you recycle batteries on Campus?

Battery recycling pails have been set up at various locations around the campus. To find the closest recycling location near you, view the University Recycling Map.

If you are hosting a collection pail and it is full, please fill out the Hazardous Waste removal form and your pail will be collected during the next fortnightly collection.

Why not try Rechargeable Batteries?

Why not try changing your office ordering and purchase rechargeable batteries instead of one-use batteries? Rechargeable batteries can be reused hundreds of time, meaning a significantly smaller impact on the environment (up to 32 times less) and also real cost savings. Rechargeable batteries also have smaller impacts in regards to global warming potential, use of non-renewable resources, air and water pollution and acid rain.(2)

Sources:
1. University of Sydney waste Audit 2009.
2. Planet Ark website. http://recyclingweek.planetark.org/bb/about.cfm

Garden Organics Recycling

The University of Sydney’s Camperdown and Darlington campuses provide some of the largest green spaces in the inner city. Grounds staff from Campus Infrastructure and Services maintain the gardens and resulting garden waste on site. They recycle approximately 40 cubic meters of green waste and leaf litter per week, most of this is composted and the rest is chipped and used on-site as a soil improver or mulch.

In addition, grounds staff use approximately 3,000 cubic meters of mulch and compost per year, much of which is obtained for free from our tree contractor when working on site and other local contractors including the Sydney of City.

Hazardous liquids and solids

Click on the link to see more about our guidelines for managing environmental risk

Construction and demolition Materials

Construction and demolition materials are managed by Campus Infrastructure and Services. CIS is committed to reducing waste and recycling as part of their operations. This is showcased in recent building projects as part of the Campus 2010 demolition of the Edgeworth David building and Stephen Roberts Theatre (that used to stand where the Law Building now stands) and the Tin Sheds (where the Jane Foss Russell Building now stands).

Click here to see the Jane Foss Russell Building and Law Building site case studies