What you can do for a more sustainable campus

24 Mar 2026

As the University continues to strengthen sustainability efforts, we recognise that many of our biggest ‘wins’ come from small, thoughtful choices colleagues make every day.

With the recent news that we have achieved Zero Landfill on our main waste contracts, we are focused on reducing waste by strengthening our circular economy and making sustainable choices.

Alongside our new sustainability initiative, No Time to Waste, there are a number of small, simple ways you can already do this on campus to reduce waste, save resources, and keep useful items in circulation.

Disposing of food waste correctly

Even small habits can make a big difference.

Remembering to dispose of food waste in the existing food bins on campus ensures that it can be properly collected, treated, and turned into something useful. By popping it in the correct bin and not general waste, it can then be transported to anaerobic digestion facilities, where it’s turned into renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertiliser.

Reuse and recycle where possible – the circular economy in action

Reusing items is one of the most effective ways to lower our environmental impact. It reduces waste, can save money, and helps cut the emissions that come from manufacturing, transporting, and disposing of new products.

Furniture4Reuse

Furniture4Reuse, the University’s dedicated used furniture store, collects and refurbishes all types of furniture (desks, chairs, shelves, etc.) before rehoming the items both across campus and charities in the local community.

Many teams regularly furnish entire office spaces using this service rather than buying something new. Each reused piece of furniture not only avoids the cost of replacement, but prevents any additional emissions linked to new purchases.

In the 24/25 academic year, Furniture4Reuse saved 226 tonnes of CO₂e – the equivalent to the amount of carbon absorbed by 10,270 mature trees in one year – and saved the University £420,606.

Stationery Store

As with Furniture4Reuse, the Stationery Store takes donations of unwanted stationery items (see full list of accepted items) that are then free to collect by colleagues. Over time, small things like this help reduce our waste significantly.

Making the most of IT equipment

Our IT recycling service continues to uncover large amounts of University IT equipment that would otherwise go unused. Our most recent amnesty, which took place in October 2025, showed just how much value still sits in cupboards and drawers across campus:

• 5.1 tonnes of IT equipment were returned.
• 1.6 tonnes (31%) were reused and 3.5 tonnes recycled; none of it was sent to landfill.
• A total of 354 items were recovered, including 243 devices and 111 screens.
• Around 80 devices were reused internally on campus.
• 183 devices were refurbished for good causes or resale through our partner.

By reusing these devices, the University avoided 11.2 tonnes of CO₂e that would have been embedded in purchasing new equipment, which is roughly the same as driving from Manchester to London and back around 90 times in a petrol car.

Returning a spare monitor or old laptop may feel like a small action, but the combined impact is significant – you can easily arrange for drop-off or collection of IT equipment with IT Services to help reduce waste across campus.