The Waste Management Subgroup aims to create a culture of reducing, reusing and recycling waste by raising awareness of waste management issues.

Membership of the group comprises:

• Convenor: Dr Laura Muir (Senior Lecturer, Department of Information Management, Aberdeen Business School)
• Bill Walker (Print Manager, Gatehouse Design and Print Consultancy) 
• Ian Webster (Estates Services Manager, Estates and Property Services) 
• Keith Fraser (Records Manager)
• Leon Mouat (Procurement Office)
• Gavin Murison (Senior Applications Supervisor, School of Engineering) 
• Tombari Aadum (Vice President of Union and Societies, Student Association) 
• Kevin Simpson (Catering Manager) 
• John Prince/Emma Fisher (RGU: Sport) 
• Tim Conner (Lecturer, Department of Communication and Media, Aberdeen Business School) 
• Dr Afolabi Otitoju (Lecturer, Aberdeen Business School)
• Peter Hall (Facilities Services Supervisor)
• Sabrina Rossetti (Marketing Officer)

Recycling News

In session 2007/8 the university recycled 11% of its waste. In 2008/9 this number rose to 25%. The university now recycles over 40% of its total waste, mainly due to reducing waste in skips and information provided at waste stations.

Throughout the university there a number of initiatives, including:

• Recycled cardboard bins (designed by students from Gray's School of Art) were introduced in 2008 in internal areas of the campus for recycling paper, cans, glass and plastic. These are being recycled and replaced by new recycling stations to improve the segregation of waste around the university.
• A review of external bins (with our waste contractor) and the introduction of multi recycling bins across the campus to increase our recycling capabilities. This has significantly reduced the amount of general waste going to landfill.
• Recycling facilities at Woolmanhill student accommodation for bottles, paper, card, cardboard, plastic and cans. (Nearly a third of waste is now recycled at the flats.)
• Since January 2009 staff have been able to send their batteries to the mailroom for recycling.
• Staff around the university are collecting printer ink cartridges for recycling to benefit charities and schools. Please contact Ian Webster (i.webster@rgu.ac.uk) for information.

View University Recycling Statistics for 2011

IT Equipment

For information on recycling redundant IT equipment please see the following link:

•  Redundant IT equipment

Use your Mug!

Staff and students can use their own hot drinks mug at all Costa outlets in the university – in addition to saving 5p on the purchase price this initiative will potentially save a huge amount of waste from ‘disposable’ hot drinks cups.

Waste Reduction

In order to make a real difference we must reduce the amount of waste we produce. There are a number of initiatives which will support this:

• The buildings master plan
• The strategic review of printing & photocopying services
• The implementation of an Electronic Document Management System
• The CampusMoodle Virtual Learning Environment.

The meetings of the Waste Management Subgroup do not generate any paper waste; all documents are circulated electronically and projected on a screen during the meeting. Notes from the meeting are written on the backs of paper which has been previously used on one side.

We encourage users to choose the most appropriate and environmentally friendly options if printing or copying is necessary. This is one of the aims of the Strategic Review of Printing and we are represented on its implementation group. We recommend that you don't purchase a desk-top printer if you can access one of the universities networked printers.

Print Services

Bill Walker and his team at the Gatehouse Design and Print Consultancy actively promote printing on top quality recycled paper which carries the NAPM (National Association of Paper Merchants) recycled logo certifying that it contains a minimum of 75% genuine waste. The Gatehouse provides all the facts you need to make an informed choice about using recycled paper for high quality commercial printing or photocopying on the Graphics and Printing web pages. 

What are you doing?

What are you doing to reduce the amount of waste generated by Robert Gordon University? Even if it is something very small, we would like to hear from you so we can share examples of good practice and identify what needs to be done to support change.

Contact:
Dr Laura Muir
Convenor, Waste Management Subgroup of the Environmental Sustainability Group
l.muir@rgu.ac.uk