The University is committed to circular economy practices by not only improving our recycling efforts but also focusing on waste prevention. While we successfully divert over 40% of our waste from landfill, we still generate an average of 54 kg of landfill waste per person, contributing over 3% to our emissions profile. Our existing recycling and onsite composting practices in our garden and landscape areas contribute to our environmental sustainability commitments and we aim to enhance these efforts and drive waste reduction strategies to further reduce our environmental impact.
Circular economy and waste
Image: Flickr ANU
Our approach
We aim to embed circular economy principles into our operations and optimise resource use to increase our waste diversion rate from landfill to 65%. Our waste management initiatives include education programs, efficient waste sorting, and the implementation of best practices in building operations. By fostering a culture of sustainability, we encourage all community members to actively participate in reducing waste and supporting our sustainability commitments.
Our targets
- Reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill to 30kg per person from 41kg/person baseline in 2023
- Increase the waste diversion rate (recyclable rate) to 65% by 2025
- Create a centralised repository and monitoring system for waste records, including categories for specialised and construction demolition waste
- Implement a management program to eliminate single-use plastic waste from our Acton campus by 2025
- Define categories for recycled products and develop corresponding procurement procedures
- Pilot an organic waste project and support at least one in-house feasibility study for waste management per year from 2023
- Establish a student-based waste auditing program
- Establish a second life shop to promote circularity
- Rollout of new waste streams to reduce contamination of current streams collected by the waste provider.
- Update signage to educate our community on how to dispose of waste appropriately.
Our progress
Waste reduction and diversion
We are progressing towards our 30kg per person target, with the amount of waste sent to landfill per person measured at approximately 42kg in Q1 2024. This is a reduction of 7kg per person from 2019 data.
We continue to work towards a higher waste to landfill diversion rate which has remained relatively consistent at approximately 28% as at Q2 2024.
Organic waste
Over two years to August 2023 we diverted a total of 28,686kg of organic waste from landfill across four sites.
Waste streams and education
An initiative is underway to update waste bin signage and streams across campus to educate our community on proper waste disposal. This will involve installing new signage and bins with more waste streams available and adding new signage to existing infrastructure.
Community engagement
In 2023, the Environmental Sustainability Team began working with building custodians to raise awareness about waste on campus and promote waste reduction efforts. This collaboration has continued into 2024 and will feed into a program of work aimed at identifying opportunities for improving efficiency in energy, water use and waste generation. This program is scheduled to launch in November 2024, and seeks to empower custodians and occupants to lessen their environmental impact.
The Team continues to collaborate with the Halls of Residences to reduce waste going to landfill and repurpose items as part of end of semester cleanouts. The Team is ensuring appropriate waste streams are available, with a pilot program planned for Bruce Hall during end of year clear outs in 2024.
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