Let's leave no trace!

Have you ever stood in front of your accommodation's kitchen recycling bins, feeling a bit lost about where to toss your trash? We've got your back! At the University of Bath, we're on a mission to maximise recycling efforts, and we're here to guide you every step of the way.

How to effectively recycle

Within your cosy flat kitchens, you'll find an array of bins designed to make recycling a breeze:

• Food: (Cooked goodies, peels, leftovers, tea bags, eggshells)
• Cans and plastics: (Plastic bottles, yoghurt pots, food trays, tubs, aluminium and steel cans, food tins, foil, aerosols, lids)
• Glass: (Bottles and jars)
• Paper and cardboard: (Newspapers, magazines, flyers, notes, boxes of all kinds, rolls, cartons)
• General waste: (Anything that can't be recycled, like tissues, wrapping paper, and soft plastics - if you can't take them to a local supermarket for recycling).

For more detailed info on recycling in your accommodation, check out our Recycling Guide.

And guess what? There's even more you can recycle! Think oral hygiene products, bread bags, snack packaging, and makeup packaging. More info can be found here! 

What is the harm of not recycling properly

But what if we don't recycle properly? Well, it leads to contamination. Imagine putting the wrong items, or items that haven't been rinsed out, in the recycling bins. In 2018, UK councils sent a whopping 500,000 tonnes of recycling to landfill due to contamination, as reported by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). 

We've got to take recycling seriously and do it right. If your kitchen's recycling bins get contaminated, they'll end up as general waste, hampering your flat's recycling efforts and impacting the environment.

Remember, our Reslife Accommodation Supervisors are here to help with any waste and recycling queries you may have. Don't hesitate to reach out to them! In the meantime, check out this video about the correct bin to use within the outside bin store.