Achieving A Sustainable Campus

Recycling and Waste Management

Cardboard / Paper / Commingle (indoor and outdoor)

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Waste Management Process

In early 2004 a new waste removal process was implemented where all waste collected by the cleaners, from buildings and grounds (including paper, cardboard and commingle waste) is placed in VISY Recycling bins. This is then emptied and the contents taken to a Visy Facility, where it is hand sorted. Since this process commenced, the University has consistently recycled 95% of the delivered waste, which averages between 40 and 45 tonne per month which equates approximately to 540 tonnes per year from; Parkville, Werribee, Burnley, Abbotsford and VCA campuses. Approximately 5% of waste is sent to landfill, the waste is disposed of in dump masters equating to 300 cubic metres per week. This includes non recyclable waste collected by the building and grounds cleaners, and also by building occupants and on occasion by maintenance staff and contractors.

The reason we still encourage separation in the workplace, is because Visy have advised that should the waste become "pure", the current sorting fee of $30.00 per tonne may be reduced or removed. To achieve this, the cleaners currently separate anything not recyclable; however, we are still finding non recyclable items mixed in with the waste.

The waste collected from the recycling bins, those in the wooden enclosures and the red commingle bins, is taken to Visy. All waste placed in the bulk bins and in the general waste bins on campus, goes to landfill; the volume of this waste is unknown.


Cardboard

Disposal Method: VISY Recycling

Process: We would encourage suppliers to take back cardboard, which is mostly generated from packaging, wherever possible. Alternatively there a number of cardboard recycling bails across the campus, which are collected from buildings by the cleaners and taken by VISY every 2 weeks.


Paper

VISY Recycling

Disposal Method: VISY Recycling

Process: Small recycling boxes for the office and larger recycling boxes for large, centralised rooms such as printer/photocopier rooms are available. If you require recycling boxes in your office/work area, please contact the Facilities Manager.

VISY Recycling Box

These boxes are emptied by cleaners twice per week or when full. Printed on the side of the boxes is a long list of items that can be recycled. The list is given in the table below:

What can I put into a VISY RECYCLING BOX?
Yes No

Printed & typed reports

Foil wrapper

Fax paper

Carbon

Photocopy paper & wrappers

Self carbonated paper

Paper Binder dividers

Food scraps

Bond Stock (letterheads and forms)

Food Wrappers

Computer Printouts (no carbon)

Glass

Envelopes (even with windows)

Plastics

Index cards & sheets

Typewriter ribbons

Invoices

Polystyrene Cups

Manilla Folders

Sticky Tape

Phone Books

Adhesive Labels

Writing/Scribbling pads

Facial Tissues

Drawing or Note paper

Paper towels

Cardboard Boxes

Thermal Fax paper

Newspapers/Magazines

Cellophane

Brochures

Rubber Bands

Recycled Note Pads from Used on One Side Paper

Convert your one sided used paper into a neat personal note pad. Simply place an A4 paper tray on your desk and label with the sticker ‘ONE-SIDED PAPER for re-use’, available from the EHS Unit. Then address an internal envelope with the following address:

Binding Recycled Note Pads
Digital Print Centre
258 Queensberry Street

Please include a return self addressed envelope.

Note: There may be some time delays, especially 6 to 8 weeks leading up to semester, due to other work. The Digital Print Centre is doing its part to help to reduce waste and decrease the University’s carbon footprint by providing this service free of charge to staff.


Commingle (Indoor)

Disposal Method: VISY Recycling

Process: Commingle recycling is the collection system where all recyclable resources (plastics, paper, aluminium, steel etc.) are placed in specially designated bins. Once full, the contents of the bins are transported to VISY Recycling where the different materials are sorted and then recycled.

Purchase a small bin from your stationery purchasing catalogue and contact sustainable-campus@unimelb.edu.au for a sticker to be placed on the bin so it can be identified by staff and cleaners as the commingle bin.

Indoor commingle bin

 

Recycling Hints from VISY:

Refer to VISY's website for a detailed list of what can and can't be recycled.

General principles are:

  1. Do not place recyclables in plastic bags. Use a tub or basket to transport recyclables from your kitchen to your recycling bin to ensure your recycling efforts are not wasted
  2. The lids on plastic containers can be included in your recycling
  3. In order to conserve water, it is not necessary to rinse out containers, but please ensure they are clean of food scraps
  4. It is not necessary to peel labels off containers, as they are taken out during the recycling process.

Commingle (Outdoor)

Disposal Method: VISY Recycling

Process: Commingle recycling bins are located around the grounds of the campus. The bins are made up of two compartments, one of which is for recyclable materials and the other for waste. It is extremely important to correctly dispose of waste in the right compartment to ensure that recyclables are not wasted and that landfill doesn't contaminate recycling streams.

Outdoor commingle bin

In the compartment for recyclable materials, you can place:

All other materials that do not fit into the above categories should be thrown into the other compartment.


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