Resource and waste management

University students and staff are large consumers of goods and services in relation to their study, teaching, research and generally living/working at the University. Each purchase has a consequence resulting from the combined impact of the manufacture, transport, use and disposal of that product.

03 Good Heath and Well-Being08 Decent Work and Economic Growth12 Responsible Consumption and Production13 Climate Action

Sustainable resource and waste management is about using material resources efficiently to reduce the amount of waste produced and, where waste is generated, dealing with it in a way that actively contributes to the economic, social and environmental goals of sustainable development.

Our commitment to resource and waste management

Procurement Policy

Sustainable procurement is included as a key consideration in the University's Procurement Policy. Sustainable procurement sees a shift from purchasing goods services, utilities and works under conventional procurement criteria of price and quality, to incorporating triple bottom line outcomes.

Waste Minimisation Action Plan

The University of Tasmania is committed to supporting staff and students in making sustainable decisions around material resources use and disposal.

The University's Waste Minimisation Action Plan 2021-2025 (PDF 607.5 KB) was endorsed by the Sustainability Committee in April 2021. The Plan was informed by the Sustainable Waste Management Discussion Paper (PDF 1.6 MB). The Waste Minimisation Action Plan will guide the entire University community in achieving our resource recovery and waste minimisation objectives using waste hierarchy in all university operations and activities.

The Plan aims to implement a circular economy approach to waste management in all University operations and activities. Circular systems employ reuse, sharing, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recycling to create a closed-loop system, minimising the use of resource inputs and the creation of waste and pollution that would end in our land and marine environments.

Re-Use scheme chart

Re-use scheme chart

Our resource and waste management

Clean out and disposal process guide

Clean out and disposal process guide

Follow the University’s Clean out and disposal process guide steps for a successful clean up in your area and proper disposal of various items.

Sustainable procurement

Choosing sustainable products is about trying to find a balance between different characteristics over the life of the product, considering the products supplied and the supplier practices themselves.

For sustainable procurement criteria and Modern Slavery in procurement at the University of Tasmania, staff can visit the Procurement staff intranet page.

Sustainable events

The University strongly encourages those using our facilities to adhere to the Tasmanian Government Sustainable Event guidelines (PDF 256 KB). to reduce material resource use and waste via:

  • Choosing the right site
  • Influencing the supply chain
  • Promoting sustainability
  • Recycling, composting or arranging collection of unwanted usable food for charities.

If you are organising an event on campus and require additional signage the following signs are available (PDF 3.2 MB):

  • Landfill (if not compostables service is available)
  • Landfill if a compostable service is available
  • Co-mingle Recycling
  • Compostables

Re-use Program

Each year the University generates a large amount of unwanted furniture that can be re-used. The Re-Use Program is an online catalogue and furniture redistribution system within the University.

Find out more about the Re-Use Program at the University or to register your interest.

Recycling Programs

Recycling is an easy way to reduce our waste to landfill and conserve valuable resources, however it is important to choose the right bin. The University encourages improved resource recovery on campus through its growing Resource Recovery Program (RRP), with the aim to:

  • Quantify the amount of waste generated
  • Improve opportunities for resource recovery from all waste types
  • Determine the infrastructure, services, and logistics resolutions needed to support a comprehensive resource recovery program
Recycling Walls at the University of Tasmania explained by Mary Gill, Waste Officer

Recycling walls

In December 2019 the University of Tasmania, with support from Hobart City Council, set up a pilot recycling wall for difficult to recycle items in the Social Sciences building on the Sandy Bay campus. Given the immediate success of the pilot wall, the service is expanding to more southern campuses and buildings.

  • Where:

 

  • What: Toner cartridges, batteries, small e-waste, mobile phones, plastic bottle tops, air fresheners and refills, toothbrushes and paste tubes, disposable razors and packaging, pens, markers and highlighters.
  • Want to know more about streams and recyclers? Download the Recycling Walls User Guide (PDF 447.3 KB).

Other building recycling

Even if there is not a Recycling Wall nearby, staff and students can recycle the following items:

  • Commingles
  • Paper and cardboard
  • Batteries
  • Mobile phones
  • Printer cartridges
  • E-waste
  • Fluorescent lamps
  • Organic waste

For more information about recycling locations, please contact waste.service@utas.edu.au

Find out more about where the recycling goes from Rethink Waste Tasmania:

Our progress

The University is committed to monitoring and reporting key indicators in relation to resource purchase and recovery, for which the University collects various data:

Get involved

Reduce

  • Think before you buy - Do you really need it? Could you hire it instead?
  • Think before you print and remember to double side your printing
  • Group orders with other areas to:
    • Save on purchasing costs and delivery impacts
    • Reduce waste from items which may not store well

Reuse

  • Register in the University Re-use Program
  • Use reusable coffee cups - 'keep cups' are available from most campus cafes
  • Bring your own drink bottle and fill it at filtered water stations on campus
  • Keep unwanted paper (particularly near printers) as scrap paper

Buy

  • Buy products that:
    • Are made from reused, recycled or renewable materials, and that can be reused or recycled once they are obsolete
    • Use less energy or water in use
    • Do not have excessive packaging and with packaging that can be recycled
    • Are locally made
    • Are from socially responsible manufacturers
    • Are durable and/or can be repaired/upgraded
    • Can be returned to suppliers for recycling schemes
    • Are certified and verified sustainable products

Recycle

  • Choose the right bin. Recycling bins that are heavily contaminated with non-recyclable items are sent to landfill.
    • Take-away coffee cups contaminate our recycling, so please put them in the organics collection (green) bins if the cups were purchased on campus, or the general rubbish bins if purchased outside campus.
    • Put food in a compost system (if available in your area) or in the organics collection (green) bins.
    • Ensure you flatten boxes before placing into bins

Get in touch

Do you have a query or feedback about 'resource and waste management' at the University of Tasmania? We would love to hear from you.

Email: waste.service@utas.edu.au