An overview of waste reduction for those who live, work and study at Scotland's Universities and Colleges.
What does Reduce mean?
The Waste Hierarchy ranks waste management options in order of sustainability, the first level being the most sustainable. Reduce is the first level of the Waste Hierarchy and means taking steps to lower the amount of waste produced.
Why is reducing waste a good thing to do?
Reducing your waste:
- Saves the Earth’s natural resources.
- Saves energy and reduces the risk of climate change.
- Reduces the need for landfill.
How can I reduce waste on campus?
Reducing the amount of waste coming on to your campus can be difficult but there are things you can do quickly and easily that should make a big difference.
Paper accounts for a large proportion of the waste produced on university and college campuses, you can help to reduce paper waste by:
- Changing printer and photo copier defaults to ensure they print double sided.
- Using electronic versions of meeting agendas and minutes in place of paper copies where interactive audio visual equipment is available in meeting rooms.
- Signing up to the fax preference service to reduce the amount of unwanted mail received through fax machines.
- Checking that you are not receiving too many multiple copies of the same publications.
- Avoiding excess packaging and disposable products and making the most of the equipment you have can help reduce waste.
- Where possible use reusable cups and cutlery instead of disposables.
- Try and have broken equipment repaired rather than replaced, make use of product guarantees and warranties where appropriate.
- You may be able to reduce the amount of packaging coming on to campus by specifying a requirement for minimal packaging during procurement of goods and services.
How can I reduce waste at home?
There are lots of things you can do to reduce waste whether you live in campus or private accommodation.
Reduce food waste
Over a third of the food we buy in Scotland is thrown directly in the bin. You can find out how to save money, safely use leftovers and manage to store food when you only have half a shelf in the freezer at the Love Food Hate Waste website.
Stop The Drop
If you would like to reduce the amount of unwanted mail you receive and benefit the environment, follow the five easy ways to do it. You can also pass the message on to your friends by forwarding the Stop The Drop campaign email.
Home composting
Composting your organic kitchen and garden waste is a great way of reducing waste and producing compost for your garden.
Visit the Home Composting section of our website to find out more.
Sort It
Visit our Sort It directory to find ideas for preventing waste in your local area. The directory lists thousands local and national facilities, products and services that can help you to reduce waste.
