In line with best practice, we manage our waste following the waste hierarchy aligning with the principles of:
- prevention
- reduction
- reuse
- recycling
- energy recovery
- disposal.
You can read our Waste Strategy and Waste Action Plan for details.
Recycling and waste
- We partner with the British Heart Foundation and the Oxford Food Bank.
In 2024, Brookes students and staff donated 3,156 bags of preloved stuff to ‘Pack for Good Campaign’, which raised £47,340 to help British Heart Foundation fund lifesaving research. - Abandoned bikes on campus are managed and upcycled, for further information please contact transport@brookes.ac.uk
- Paperless assignment submissions are now standard across the University.
- Double sided printing is the default setting for all our printers & old academic books are donated to Better World Books.
- Recoverable pallets are collected by a local social enterprise RAW and upcycled to make furniture.
- Internal office equipment and furniture is re-used wherever possible. Students and staff are welcome to join the Environment Forum for sharing or requiring an item by contacting sustainability@brookes.ac.uk.
- Dry Mixed Recycling is sent to a Material Recycling Facility, for segregation and recycling.
- General waste is transported to the nearby Ardley Energy Recovery Facility, recovering energy from waste to help power local homes.
- All food waste is sent to an anaerobic digester which produces energy, and fertiliser for local farmers.
- Only 0.04% of waste is disposed of via landfill.
- >90% of our construction waste is recycled.