Recycling

Waste and recycling

Method Bins

The roll out of the method bins will continue across campus. The method bins are designed to promote the diversion of waste to landfill through the use of full sets of bins being placed in common areas (as pictured below).

Recycling Method Bins

What can go in the Recycling Method Bins:

• Rigid plastics numbers 1, 2 and 5 can put in the recycling bins. Small yogurt containers are the smallest sized plastic that is allowed, anything smaller gets caught up in the machinery at the recycling plants and gets sent into the wrong product stream
• All cans

All plastics and cans need to be clean/rinsed and NOT contain food.

What cannot go in the Recycling Method Bins:

• Soft plastics (including chip packets)
• Plastics numbers 3,4,6 and 7 (including polystyrene)
• Tetra-paks (milk or juice cartons)
• Coffee cups
• Lids
• Tissues/paper towels

Paper Method Bins

What can go in the Paper Method Bins:

• All printer paper, newspaper, small flattened cardboard boxes

What cannot go in the Paper Method Bins:

• Coffee cups
• Shiny printer paper packaging
• Tissues/paper towels
• Cardboard food packaging, including pizza boxes (the shiny coating on the inside of this packaging is nonrecyclable or it contains grease)

Glass Method Bins

What can go in the Glass Method Bins:

• Glass bottles and jars

All glass jars and bottles must be clean/rinsed.

What cannot go in the Glass Method Bins:

• Lids
• Broken glass
• Kitchen glassware (such as tumblers etc)
• Mirrors

Landfill Method Bins

What can go in the Recycling Method Bins:

• All general waste
• Plastics numbers 3,4,6 and 7 (including soft plastics)
• Coffee cups and lids
• Tissues/paper towels

Method bins are not to be moved or removed from current locations. If you would like to chat about their locations, please contact the waste team.

Desk Pods

Desk pods replace small bins under desks. These pods are designed to help pre-sort your rubbish and recycling before taking them to the method bins that are/will be located in common areas.

These pods are to be emptied by the users.

Other Recycling Services

Comingle or mixed recycling days (yellow-lidded)

Most yellow-lidded recycling bins (like the council bins found at home) get emptied on a Wednesday. If you are in a location with the yellow bins being kept in doors, these will need to be taken kerbside before 9am on a Wednesday.

The same rules apply for these yellow recycling bins as the mixed recycling method bin.

Paper Collection Days

Paper bins are located throughout campus. If kept inside, these bins will need to be taken kerbside or to your designated pickup spot. If you are unsure of where your buildings spot is, please contact the waste team.

The collections occur every first and third Wednesday of every month.

2022 dates are as follows:

Document Destruction Services (DDS)

These bins are for paper that contain sensitive content only. For normal paper that has non-sensitive content please dispose of in the paper bins.

If you have an existing DDS bin and require it to be emptied, please just call the number on the front of the bin and request the emptying.

Glass

Around campus, there is a mixture of glass crates (blue DCC bins) and wheelie bins that get replaced on Wednesdays. These bins need to be placed kerbside by 9am on a Wednesday.

If your glass wheelie bin is less than half full, it will not be replaced.

The same rules apply for the glass crates and wheelie bins as the glass method bins i.e. removal of lids on bottles etc.

Cardboard

There are cardboard skips strategically placed around campus. If you need to know where the nearest cardboard location is to you, please email the Property Service's waste team. Please make sure to flatten all boxes before placing them in the cardboard bin and NO food contaminated cardboard boxes are allowed please.
Email ps.recycling@otago.ac.nz

Dead batteries

These must be dropped off to Property Services on Albany Street or be collected by arrangement.

Polystyrene

For small quantities please drop off at the old Wickliffe Press Building, at 59 Clyde Street on the loading dock by the skips. For large quantities, please raise a job request.

E-waste

For small loads of E-waste (that is e-waste that can be carried by one person) staff need to contact AskOtago, then the E-waste and E-cycle Centre staff will arrange a time for the E-waste to be dropped off, or to be collected without needing to go through Property Services.

This is usual for small amounts of E-waste. Only requests for large amounts of E-waste to be collected should go to Property Services.

Equipment Recycling and Disposal

Printer cartridges

Most buildings will have a collection for the printer cartridges, please contact Property Services if you require a recycling point.

Worm farms

There are a few worm farms scattered around campus that have been adopted by various departments around campus and are well taken care of by these staff. If you have any questions about these worm farms please contact the Sustainability Office.

Green your Scene

Waste and recycling are included in part of the Sustainability teams Green Your Scene Campaign. Improve waste and recycling in your office space.

Student waste

Information on student waste, including diversion days.

For more information contact

If you ever have any questions about your waste and recycling or you are after more support in tacking the waste streams in your areas then please contact us:

Annie Blair
Custodial Services Manager (Waste and Recycling – Cleaning)
Email annie.blair@otago.ac.nz

Emily Colquhoun
Waste Minimisation Coordinator
Email: emily.colquhoun@otago.ac.nz

Used furniture store

Property Services has a furniture store located at 96 Anzac Avenue.

This store is for used furniture from around campus and is a resource should you be after that one-off table, bookcase etc.

Departments can raise a job request for furniture items to be picked and removed from their areas, they are then stored at 96 Anzac Avenue and are made available for reuse to other departments/staff.

If you would like to have a look at any used furniture please contact:

Trina Brown
Mob +64 21 279 2263
Email t.brown@otago.ac.nz