University of Manchester hits major sustainability milestone, with Main Campus becoming 100% 鈥榋ero Landfill鈥�
糖心Vlog官方 can announce that all of the waste managed under central contracts has been diverted from landfill. This milestone has been achieved through years of planning, negotiation, and operational consideration, with landfill targets built into all of the University鈥檚 waste management contracts to ensure compliance.
Sending waste to landfill generally produces the highest levels of net greenhouse gas emissions of any waste treatment option. While it鈥檚 a common belief that anything placed in a 鈥榖lack bag鈥� or general waste bin ends up in landfill, this isn鈥檛 always the case; landfill plays a much smaller role in the UK waste industry than it used to 鈥� and has been eliminated on campus in relation to the University鈥檚 two main waste contracts.
Instead of landfill, the University鈥檚 non-recyclable general waste now goes through a process known as Energy from Waste (EfW), a waste management method that converts non-recyclables into electricity and heat. Once waste is collected on campus, it is transported to a waste transfer station nearby, where it is 鈥榖ulked up鈥� before being sent to an EfW facility.
At the EfW facility, it is burned under safe and controlled conditions. The process of burning the waste generates heat, which is then used to power steam turbines and produce electricity, ensuring that every by-product (which includes ash and metals) is recovered and reused, meaning nothing goes to landfill.
We are delighted to hit our Zero Landfill target and eliminate landfill disposal entirely from these major waste contacts. We go to great lengths working with our contactors, Veolia and Stericycle, to ensure we recover value from our waste. While this is a major milestone, our priorities remain in reducing waste across campus, reusing what we can, and encouraging recycling.
The University will remain committed to creating a sustainable campus, by looking at reducing waste to keep products, parts, and materials in use for as long as possible, to strengthen its circular economy.
Sarah Choi, Environmental Sustainability Manager, said: "Achieving Zero Landfill shows what's possible when we work together to align our processes with our sustainability goals. It's a huge step in our environmental ambitions and strengthens our commitment to create a more circular, responsible campus."
The University has a commitment to be zero carbon by 2038, and last year began powering its campus with clean, renewable electricity from a major new solar farm. The University ended all investments in fossil fuels in 2022.
To find out more about this and other commitments around waste, transport and nature, visit the Sustainability website.