From 1 February 2024, new national standards to kerbside bin collections are in place, which means a consistent approach to how we sort recycling, organics and rubbish across Aotearoa New Zealand.
The new national standards have bought about some changes to what is accepted in what bin on campus.
| Item | Now goes in |
Empty pizza boxes (without food scraps) | Recycling | Hangarua |
| Tea bags | Landfill | Para |
| Soiled paper (including dirty napkins) | Landfill | Para |
| All takeaway packaging, including any food/drink containers marked "compostable" or "bioplastic". This includes coffee cups. | Landfill | Para |
All staff and students can make a difference by sorting their waste correctly to minimise the contamination of our waste streams.
It is extremely important that all food, food scraps and organic material are placed in the green organics bin, and not in the red landfill bins.
Learn more about waste management and minimisation at UC below.
Lids
If you would like to recycle your lids, a team at the Ernest Rutherford building has developed an amazing lid recycling station. Items collected here go to various specific recycling streams. The station is located in the foyer of Ernest Rutherford at the south entrance.
Turning food scraps and organic waste into compost significantly reduces the volume of waste sent to landfill, making it an important waste minimisation tool. Compost can then be used by gardeners to improve soil fertility and structure.
Food and organic waste generated at UC is taken offsite and made into compost.
You can put all food scraps and organic material in the green wheelie organics bins and small bench top containers in staff kitchens.
Allowable items:
UC's worm farm was launched during International Compost Awareness Week to trial a form of localised composting on campus. It is a collaboration between Te Ngaki o Waiutuutu (Waiutuutu Community Garden), UC Compost Club, UC Sustainability and UCSA. The student-led Compost Club collects a bucket of food scraps every week from the UCSA kitchen.
Along with the bacteria and micro-organisms, the worms break down the food into worm castings, which is a nutrient-rich compost that can be used on our campus gardens.
20kgs of food waste has been diverted and placed in the worm farm since May 2023. It takes time to build up the numbers and castings. There is a plan to expand the worm farms in 2024, and look to collect food waste from university accomodation.
For any queries about these changes, please contact Sustainability Office.
