Major sustainability milestone - Main Campus hits zero landfill

24 Mar 2026

The University has achieved a landmark sustainability goal as we become 100% ‘Zero Landfill’ on Main Campus. Thanks to a joint effort between Estates colleagues and our waste contractors, our general, clinical, and offensive waste is now fully diverted from landfill.

After years of careful planning, we are thrilled to say that the University has diverted all of the waste managed under our central contracts from landfill. This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of our colleagues in Operational Services and Environmental Sustainability, who worked with our waste contractors through a collaborative process involving strategic planning and efficient resource management.

Sending waste to landfill generally produces the highest levels of net greenhouse gas emissions of any waste treatment option. While it’s a common belief that anything placed in a ‘black bag’ or general waste bin ends up in landfill, this isn’t always the case; landfill plays a much smaller role in the UK waste industry than it used to – and has been eliminated on campus in relation to our two main waste contracts.

What Zero Landfill means

Zero Landfill simply means that none of the waste coming from main campus is going to landfill. We have been able to achieve this through years of planning, negotiation, and operational consideration, with landfill targets built into all our waste management contracts to ensure compliance.

Instead of landfill, our non-recyclable general waste now goes through a process known as Energy from Waste (EfW), a waste management method that converts non-recyclables into electricity and heat. Once waste is collected on campus, it is transported to a waste transfer station nearby, where it is ‘bulked up’ before being sent to an EfW facility.

At the EfW facility, it is burned under safe and controlled conditions. The process of burning the waste generates heat, which is then used to power steam turbines and produce electricity, ensuring that every by-product (which includes ash and metals) is recovered and reused, meaning nothing goes to landfill.

Simon Atkinson, Waste Co-ordinator, said: "We are delighted to hit our Zero Landfill target and eliminate landfill disposal entirely from these major waste contacts. We go to great lengths working with our contactors, Veolia and Stericycle, to ensure we recover value from our waste. While this is a major milestone, our priorities remain in reducing waste across campus, reusing what we can, and encouraging recycling."

Sarah Choi, Environmental Sustainability Manager, said: "Achieving Zero Landfill shows what's possible when we work together to align our processes with our sustainability goals. It's a huge step in our environmental ambitions and strengthens our commitment to create a more circular, responsible campus."

What you can do now

Now our main waste streams are diverted from landfill, the next step is strengthening our circular economy, where we reduce waste by keeping products, parts, and materials in use for as long as possible. A lot of this comes down to simple everyday habits, including:

• Reducing waste where possible
• Reusing items before buying new
• Recycling materials – including food – correctly

Further practical tips on small, simple ways that you can already do this on campus can be found in our recent StaffNet article.