In line with best practice we manage our waste following the waste hierarchy, aligning with the principles of prevention, reduction, reuse, recycling, energy recovery and disposal.
Initiatives and deliverables
- We partner with the British Heart Foundation and the Oxford Food Bank. Delivering a ‘Pack for Good Campaign’, in 2018/19, Brookes staff and students donated over £48,000 of old belongings.
- Bring your own re-usable mug to our catering outlets and receive a 10% discount off your drink.
- Abandoned bikes are upcycled and reused by Bicester Green and the Bike Doctor.
- 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.
Final destination for University streams in 2019-20
- 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 0.8% of waste is disposed of via landfill.
- 98% of our construction waste is recycled.
More information
See A to Z of Waste for details on what to recycle and where at Oxford Brookes.
Email sustainability@brookes.ac.uk to join the internal Environmental Forum to reuse furniture and office equipment.