Waste prevention and separation
Separating waste in the right way makes it easier to recycle packaging materials and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve resources. The University of Bonn is aiming to sort as much waste as possible into its constituent materials so that it can be sent for recycling. In the past, there was always a limit to what the University could do in this regard. Due to its sheer size and its many sites spread all over the city, a uniform approach to waste separation could not be guaranteed and the volume of non-recyclable waste generated was very high. Waste disposal at the University is now being made the best it can be thanks to a standardized system that we are introducing for separating it out.
What we are doing
The University is sharing tips and measures to get all of its members on the same page. To provide a quick and easy overview of what waste goes where, it has compiled a Waste ABC, a kind of glossary of the various types of waste produced at the University, complete with details of the right way to dispose of it. There are also instructions on how to get hold of standardized waste containers plus a checklist that might help you manage without any additional garbage cans at all. In office workspaces, for example, we look at what waste is generated in the first place and whether the garbage cans that are already there might be superfluous.
Preventing waste
Preventing waste is becoming an increasingly important element of our commitment to sustainability, right from how much paper we use—because we are trying to print out as little as possible in our day-to-day life at the University. Sometimes, however, we have no choice, e.g. because shops make life difficult for us. But we do not need to always be perfect or manage equally well every day when it comes to avoiding waste. As long as we simply never forget about preventing waste and try to produce less of it, that is already half the battle.
Waste can actually be avoided altogether in many situations, without us even having to put in much effort. Whether we are buying fruit, bread rolls or a takeaway coffee, we will not generate any waste at all if we use our own containers. The canteens and cafés at our University have been sticking to this principle for a long time now. If you order your food to take away, you will get it in high-quality reusable bowls. Staff who bring a packed breakfast or lunch could make a point of buying products with less or even no packaging when they are out shopping for their ingredients or consider alternatives such as the good old bread tin.
Separating waste into its constituent materials
Whenever waste is unavoidable, the various materials it contains should be reused or recycled as appropriate, and the University of Bonn is helping out with its new system for separating waste in a practical and uniform way.
We are targeting a significant reduction in our total amount of waste and, in particular, the volume of non-recyclable waste we generate so that more University waste is reused or recycled. Fewer garbage cans are therefore being put in offices, communal kitchens, library rooms, lecture halls, labs, foyers and corridors in order to combat the “throwaway culture.” Those cans that remain will be of a different kind to before so that recyclable materials can be separated out individually and returned to the circular economy.
Did you know?
Permanent markers and ballpoint pens
We collect empty permanent markers and ballpoint pens as well as spent batteries in special boxes at various University sites, institutes and departments.
Reusable garbage bags
Cleaners will soon be disposing of waste in washable and reusable bags in order to reduce the number of plastic sacks used. These special fabric garbage bags are color-coded.
Compostable plastic bags
We will be using special small, portable containers kept in central locations (e.g. kitchens) to dispose of organic waste in the future. This will contain special compostable paper bags for practical and hygiene reasons.
Choosing the correct container. What waste belongs where?
Students and staff found out all about the plans for the new, campus-wide waste disposal system during the Sustainability Day. One frequently asked question was “So what goes in what container now?”
For example, where do you put the paper towel you have just dried your hands on if it has got soap on it? With paper waste or in general waste? As you can see, it is not all that easy. This is why the University of Bonn has produced its very own Waste ABC. A great many members submitted suggestions, which have now been compiled into a list of various types of waste generated in offices and teaching and research spaces. Whether you are trying to get rid of some duct tape, dirty kitchen paper or a roll-on deodorant, the Waste ABC will tell you what container to put your garbage in and what your other options are. For example, beeswax cloths and reusable cans are more sustainable than aluminum foil.
Our Waste ABC complies with the City of Bonn’s municipal waste disposal regulations and is there to provide all staff and students with straightforward, practical guidance.
The Waste ABC as a PDF
Download your own copy of the Waste ABC.
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Order waste containers
Find more information about obtaining waste containers to help staff separate their waste.