The Technical Sustainability Working Group (TSWG) is helping the university to begin recycling polystyrene, which normally goes to landfill.
Large quantities of waste polystyrene from packaging is generated by labs across the university. It is notoriously hard to recycle due to the lack of companies that can do it.
The TSWG set up a pilot drop-off point at the BDI building and within a week it was full. Fortunately, Lee Hibbett, Chair of the TSWG, has a university driver’s permit and was quickly able to use an EV van from Engineering to transport the polystyrene to Nottingham Recycling LTD.
Having spoken to the helpful staff there, Lee took the fully-loaded van to the polystyrene drop-off point. It was placed on a conveyor, processed into a crusher/compactor before coming out compacted ready for recycling.
The hope is to establish permeant polystyrene drop off points around the university in the future.
Posted on Wednesday 12th January 2022