Waste Management on Campus
Reduce the waste generated across our Campuses as well as divert all general wastes we generate from landfill
We generated 1,588 tonnes of waste across our three main campuses during the 2018/19 academic year, costing a total of £242,538. Recyclable materials represented 33% of the total general waste collected across campuses. The Figure below show that there are opportunities to improve recycling across our campuses.

The graph displays Recycling Performances across the campuses.
We are committed to reducing the amount of waste we produce, and we currently run a Students Union (SU) led re-use campaigns aimed at encouraging our students and staff to donate any unused materials at the end of each semester. 231 kg of materials were recovered during the 2018/19 academic year. These materials would have otherwise been removed as waste with associated economic and environmental impacts.
In addition, as part of our waste re-use campaign we are currently engaging with BetterWorldBooks. Books donated by staff and students are periodically collected by BetterWorldBooks from our Mile End Campus. During the 2018/19 academic year 14,930 books were donated.
These reused books collecting service is part of our contribution to reducing our environmental impact. The unsalable books that were not suitable for donation by BetterWorldBooks were recycled. The Table below detail the breakdown of the environmental benefits of the books collected from our Mile End Campus.
End destination of book | Total | Recycled | ReUsed |
---|---|---|---|
Total Books ReUsed or Recycled | 14,766 | 8,575 | 6,191 |
Books (kg) | 9,166 | 5,323 | 3,843 |
Trees | 237 | 136 | 101 |
Water (g) | 130,626 | 49,808 | 80,818 |
Green-house Gases | 14,265 | 8,178 | 6,087 |
Landfill space (m3) | 24 | 14 | 10 |
Electricity kWh | 48,583 | 27,852 | 20,731 |
Commitments: Waste management
- We will continue to promote the economic and environmental benefits minimising waste and appropriately segregating recyclable materials from general waste across all our premises.
- We will continue to ensure that all general wastes generated from our operations are diverted from landfill sites.
- We will continue to implement environmental assurance systems, which ensure that we comply with all relevant waste management regulations and improve our waste segregation performance.
Please use the table below to find out how to dispose of waste on campus. If you remain unsure you can contact the Estates and Facilities Helpdesk by calling 020 7882 2580 or emailing eaf-helpdesk@qmul.ac.uk
Battery recycling stations are being located across QMUL in order to prevent them being sent to landfill. It is particularly important to recycle batteries as the contain heavy metals which contaminate the environment around landfill sites. Please drop any used batteries (without trailing wires) at these locations. All batteries are collected other than car batteries. Always try to use rechargeable batteries wherever possible. The stations are located at:
Mile End Campus
- Residences' Reception, France House
- Stock's Court
- Estates and Facilities
- Estates Maintenance Office
- IT Services Reception, Queens's Building W209
- Advice and Counselling Service Reception
- Fogg Building 3.16
- Engineering Building (G1 MAT Reception, E252 Electronics Lab and E203 Breakout Space
- Library
- Students' Union Hub Reception
Charterhouse Square
- Dawson Hall
Whitechapel
- Floyer House
- Whitechapel Library
West Smithfield
- West Smithfield Library
If your nearest recycling station is full, please contact the Estates and Facilities Helpdesk by calling 020 7882 2580 or emailing eaf-helpdesk@qmul.ac.uk.
Should be recycled via the Estates and Facilities Helpdesk. To contact them call 020 7882 2580, or email eaf-helpdesk@qmul.ac.uk.
Should be recycled via the Estates and Facilities Helpdesk. To contact them call 020 7882 2580, or email eaf-helpdesk@qmul.ac.uk.