Waste

Waste Strategy

This section provides details of the University Waste Strategy.

Governance and policy

Waste Strategy

The University of Edinburgh Waste Strategy 2018/19 – 2022/23 was approved in October 2018.

The Strategy sets out how University will achieve its vision to becoming a zero waste University by embedding Circular Economy thinking, and putting waste prevention, reuse and recycling at the forefront of our relationship with resources. The Strategy provides a direction for the University to manage its material resources more effectively by thinking of waste as a resource, with the aim of achieving increased efficiency, cost savings, lower environmental impact and positive carbon reductions. The aim is to reduce the unnecessary use of raw materials, encourage reuse of products, and reduce waste to landfill through recycling, composting or energy recovery.

This is the first time that the University has sought to take a strategic overview of waste management. It sets out waste management objectives and targets going forward at the and these are based around the principle of Circular Economy and focus on waste reduction, material reuse, recycling and composting, landfill diversion, sustainable procurement, and sustainable estate development.

An Implementation Plan details actions to meet the objectives and targets, individual actions are identified with further details as to how these actions will be implemented.