Waste Management on Campus

You can recycle any of the following items into the green lidded mixed recyclable bins in buildings and residences around campus.

• Glass jars and bottles
• Food and drink cans
• Plastics
• Card and paper
• Food and drink packaging.
• Clean tin foil
• Aerosols

Make sure all food containers are rinsed before recycling, otherwise food waste may spoil everything else in the bin.

This waste will be taken to a Materials Recovery Facility where it will be sorted by hand and machines into different materials. These materials then get processed into new products.

Non-recyclable waste is anything that can't go into the Mixed Recycling. These items can be put into the black lidded general waste bins in buildings and residences.

General waste includes:

• Polystyrene
• Food
• Packaging or other items contaminated with food.
• Anything wet or soiled.

As part of QMUL's commitment to be a zero waste to landfill University, non-recyclable waste is collected by our waste contractor Bywaters and taken to an energy-from-waste plant where it is converted into electricity and/or heat for industrial processing and for district heating systems.

There are a few ways to give books another life at Queen Mary.

Book Swap

The Students' Union operate a book swap shelf in Groud Café on Mile End campus where you can swap fiction books for something new.

Trade-in

If your textbooks are in good condition, you can drop them off at John Smith's Bookshop, Mile End Campus. The staff there will assess the books and may offer to buy them them for resale. 

Resale

To help to riase money for literacy charities worldwide you can drop your unwanted books off to our Better World Book deposit locations – Mile End Library, West Smithfield Library and Whitechapel Library. Find out more about Better World Books. 

Donate

You can also support the work of The British Heart Foundation by depositing your unwanted books in the red donation banks on Mile End campus. 

CDs are considered hazardous waste and should be sent to the ITS Helpdesk who will arrange shedding and recycling with a licensed waste carrier.

You can contact the ITS Helpdesk in person by visiting Queens’ Building W209, calling 020 7882 8888, or emailing helpdesk@qmul.ac.uk.

CDs and DVDs suitable for reuse can be donated via the British Heart Foundation banks on Mile End campus. 

For queries relating to clinical waste & chemicals please contact the Health and Safety Directorate. 

Queen Mary works takes part in the British Heart Foundation's Back for Good campaign giving students and staff the opportunity to donate unwanted items including clothes, shoes, small working electricals and books and furniture to British Heart Foundation via collection banks on campus.

There are currently three BHF donation banks located on the Mile End Campus and opportunities for more banks on other campuses are being investigated.

The donated items — which would otherwise likely have ended up in general waste — are taken to British Heart Foundation (BHF) charity shops, where they are sold on to customers. The money raised supports the lifesaving research and work of the BHF.

If your nearest BHF bank is full please contact the Estates and Facilities Helpdesk. 

We are currently working with Bywaters to introduce coffee cup recycling facilities at the Ground Café in Mile End. 

Unfortunately these plans are currently on hold due to COVID-19. Please contact t.stockton@qmul.ac.uk if you have any questions. 

The University is committed to both reducing the amount of food waste produced on campus and disposing of it in an environmentally responsible manner.  Reducing the amount of food we waste helps to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with production, distribution, cooking and packaging, as well as those associated with its disposal.

We do not currently collect food waste as a separate waste stream but are exploring opportunities to improve the way we dispose of food waste. As well as this we run a number of initiatives to lower food waste produced, these include;

• Food waste from QMUL kitchens at the Curve is collected and used to create biogas and liquid fertiliser. Additionally, used catering oil is collected in order to be turned into biofuels in partnership with Olleco. Find out more about Olleco. 
• Outlets across the University and Students' Union use the app Too Good to Go to sell leftover food at the end of each working day. 
• The Students' Union works with Hackney Winter Night Shelter to donate leftover food every Friday January-March each year. 

 

Second hand furniture is available from the furniture store in the basement of the Queens' Building. Please contact the Estates and Facilities Helpdesk to arrange collection. 

Should be recycled via the Estates and Facilities Helpdesk. To contact them call 020 7882 2580, or email eaf-helpdesk@qmul.ac.uk.

Spare stationery and any other items which students may be able to make use of can be donated to our termly reuse scheme. For more information about how to donate.

 

Can be dropped off to The Copy Shop for recycling. If you have a large quantity or you are not based on the Mile End Campus, please contact the ITS Helpdesk and request a collection.

For more information please visit the Copy Shop website.

QMUL has two different methods for disposing of electronic waste. The ITS Helpdesk arranges disposal of IT Hardware and the Estates and Facilities Helpdesk arranges disposal of all other items (e.g. laboratory equipment, cookers, washing machines, dryers, televisions, fridges etc.). Please contact the IT Helpdesk at and the Estates and Facilities Helpdesk to arrange the disposal of your waste electrical and electronic equipment.

You can contact the ITS Helpdesk in person by visiting Queens’ Building W209, calling 020 7882 8888, or emailing helpdesk@qmul.ac.uk.

You can contact the Estates and Facilities Helpdesk by calling 020 7882 2580 or emailing eaf-helpdesk@qmul.ac.uk.