Material Recycling and Waste Disposal
Procedure
Document Control
Document Created by
23/10/2013
Last Updated by
Gary Stratmann
04/01/16
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Introduction
This procedure document covers the ownership, segregation, treatment, handling,
transport and disposal of recyclable materials and residual wastes so as to maximise the
opportunity and value for the recyclable materials and to minimise the quantity of residual
materials discarded as waste.
Underpinning this document are UCL’s commitments to three core values: the prevention
of pollution, compliance with legislative requirements and continual improvement.
The list of parties involved in general waste recycling and disposal referred to in
this document:
All waste producers have a legal responsibility to ensure that waste is produced, stored,
transported and disposed of without harming the environment. This is your “duty of care”.
UCL Facilities and Workplace Services, a department within UCL Estates, supplies a
wide range of business support services such as cleaning, domestic and hazardous
waste management, security, and mail services.
Waste managers working from within UCL Facilities and Workplace Services have the
responsibility to advise waste producers and manage waste contractors and suppliers in
delivering required service standards.
Contractors and suppliers are employed to deliver safe and compliant; collection,
transport and disposal of wastes produced by UCL as requested by Facilities Services
waste managers.
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Contents
Recyclable Materials
Office Recyclables
Confidential Papers
Glass
Toner Cartridges
Batteries
Food Residues
Non-Recyclable Wastes
Sanitary Waste and Nappies
Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE)
Hazardous WEEE
Non-Hazardous WEEE
Fluorescent Tubes
Bulky Items (Including Furniture)
Reusable Items
Misc Items
Pallets
Bread Baskets
Waste Reporting
Training
Satellite Estate
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Recyclable Materials
Office Recyclables
1. The majority of materials discarded from UCL’s day to day office and nonhazardous laboratory activities are recyclable (as mixed dry recyclables). These
materials include (but are not limited to):
• Paper
• Hand towels
• Cardboard
• Magazines
• Drinks cans
• Cardboard cups
• Plastics
• Small quantities of glass
2. Bins for recyclable materials are put into offices, kitchens and laboratories and are
denoted by a clear bag.
3. The clear bag bin liners are removed by the O&G Cleaners, tied closed, and taken
to the building’s Designated Waste Collection Point:
• Building collection points are designated by the O&G Site Waste Manager in
consultation with the UCL Waste Manager
• For some buildings the waste is collected in wheelie bins which are labelled
• For other buildings the clear bags are piled up in the designated point
outside the building. The clear bags containing recyclable materials are kept
separate from blue bags containing residual wastes.
4. The clear bags are collected in the morning each day (Mon-Fri) by the waste
subcontractor, from the designated collection point:
• The bags are usually collected in a truck assigned to collect recyclable
materials only.
• In the event of abnormal operation, the bags may be collected in the same
truck used to collect the residual wastes, in which case the bags will be
separated as the Bywaters Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
5. The truck takes the recyclable waste to the Bywaters MRF where it is emptied and
sorted:
• Under normal operation the load is deemed to be recyclable and it is all
processed by the MRF. Approximately 95% of the load is sorted into
recyclable fractions; the remaining 5% is taken to the Cory Energy from
Waste (EfW) plant at Belvedere where it is incinerated with energy recovery.
• Under abnormal operation the load is pre-sorted, with the bags deemed to be
recyclable treated as 5.a above and the non-recyclable bags being
segregated and transported directly to the Cory EfW plant without further
sorting at the MRF.
• NONE of the waste is sent to landfill.
6. Bywaters and the O&G Site Waste Manager complete a Waste Transfer Note
annually which is given to the O&G Site Waste Manager who files it. The files are
kept in the Estates’ Offices, 3rd floor, Bidborough House, Bidborough Street.
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Confidential Papers
1. If confidentiality of information is of paramount importance then the information
must be destroyed appropriately by Service Users (usually by office shredder) at
the point of production.
2. If this is not the case then Service Users contact the Customer Service Centre (by
raising a Service Request at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance-service-requests/)
or by emailing efdservices@ucl.ac.uk to request the exchange of one or more
confidential waste sacks.
3. The O&G Service Team will deliver the appropriate number of empty sacks and
remove the equivalent number of full sacks.
4. Full confidential waste sacks are transferred to secure storage in 132 Hampstead
Road.
5. Sacks are collected from 132 Hampstead Road by Pulse on request
6. The confidential waste is taken to a secure off-site facility where it is shredded.
7. Pulse and the O&G Site Administrator complete a Waste Transfer Note on each
visit which is given to the O&G Site Administrator who files it. The files are kept in
the O&G Site Administrative Office at 1-19 Torrington Place.
8. The shredded contents are then recycled.
9. The vehicle returns directly to the Pulse depot without making any additional stops
or collections.
10. Once at the depot the vehicle is weighed and then parked within a security unit
where the bags are counted off - to ensure that the full consignment has arrived
securely.
11. The bags are tipped directly on to a conveyor which take the bags into a shredder
where the paper is shredded in accordance with BS EN 15713:2009.
12. Destruction takes place within 3 hours of leaving UCL.
13. The collection receipt is signed off and a Certificate of Destruction is authorised for
despatch.
14. All shredded paper is stored within the depot
15. The shredded paper is taken to a paper mill where it is recycled in to copier paper
(Evolve) or tissue paper (Velvet).
16. Security is maintained at every stage.
17. Only paper can be treated this way.
18. In the event of a Service User having other media which require confidential
destruction they should contact the Customer Service Centre (by raising a Service
Request at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance-service-requests/) or by emailing
efdservices@ucl.ac.uk explaining the nature of their requirement.
a. The Customer Service Centre will then ask the UCL Waste Manager to
contact the Service User and provide specialist advice.
19. Digital confidential waste is handled in the same manner as Hazardous WEEE (see
below).
20. Some areas use confidential waste bins rather than bags and these are exchanged
on request and the contents taken to 132 Hampstead Road and put into the secure
storage.
Glass
1. Small quantities of glass (typically one or two items) may be put into the clear bags
used for recyclable materials.
a. Quantities are limited to prevent the glass from breaking and causing injury
to cleaners and others who handle the bags.
2. Larger quantities of glass many be disposed of in one of two ways:
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a. Service Users may take the items of glass directly to one of the glass
recycling bins located around the UCL campus.
b. Service Users can collect the items of glass in a strong cardboard box, and
then contact the Customer Service Centre (by raising a Service Request at
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance-service-requests/) or by emailing
efdservices@ucl.ac.uk to arrange for the box to be collected. Members of
the O&G Service Team will collect the box and empty it into one of the glass
recycling bins as described in 2.a above. The empty cardboard box is then
put into a wheelie bin for recycling.
3. Empty glass bottles that have contained chemicals or solvents are treated by
Service Users in accordance the protocol Glass from Laboratories in the UCL
Procedure for Recycling Material and Disposal of Waste from Laboratories.
4. The glass recycling bins are emptied once a week by Bywaters, the O&G waste
contractor and the glass is taken to the transfer station at Leyton operated by
Bywaters. The glass is then collected, crushed and used as road aggregate.
5. Bywaters and the O&G Site Waste Manager complete a Waste Transfer Note
annually which is given to the O&G Site Waste Manager who files it. The files are
kept in the Facilities Services Office, B05, 1-19 Torrington Place.
Toner Cartridges
1. Service Users contact the Customer Service Centre (by raising a Service Request
at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance-service-requests/) or by emailing
efdservices@ucl.ac.uk to obtain a box in which to collect used toner cartridges
(including inkjet cartridges).
2. The O&G Service Team will deliver the box to the service user who fills the box with
used toner cartridges.
3. The Service User contacts the Customer Service Centre to arrange for the full box
to be collected and a replacement box to be supplied.
4. The O&G Service Team will then exchange the box and take it to the 132
Hampstead Road where it is accumulated.
5. The O&G Site Waste Manager monitors the storage facility in the 132 Hampstead
Road and, when approximately 30 boxes have been collected, arranges collection.
6. The boxes are collected by Environmental Business Products who arrange for the
toner cartridges to be remanufactured as part of the Each One Counts charity
funding scheme.
7. Environmental Business Products and the O&G Site Waste Manager complete a
Waste Transfer Note annually which is given to the O&G Site Waste Manager for
filing. The files are kept in the Facilities and Workplace Services office, Bidborough
House Bidborough Street.
Batteries
21. Many UCL buildings have a battery recycling bin located near the main building
entrance or reception.
22. The battery recycling bins are monitored on a daily basis by the O&G Building
Cleaning Supervisor who contacts the O&G Site Administrator when the bins are
nearly full.
23. The O&G Site Administrator then arranges for the O&G Service Team to empty the
full bin into a bulk transport container which is then transferred to Foster Court or
132 Hampstead Road for storage.
24. When there are around 6 bulk transport containers full of batteries, the O&G Waste
Manager contacts the MITIE Helpdesk to arrange disposal. The batteries are then
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collected by Wastecare and taken to a battery recycling facility for they are broken
down into their component metals for recycling.
25. On Collection a Waste Transfer note and Waste Consignment
26. In the event that a Service User has an unusual requirement (ie a large number of
batteries or batteries of an unusual type) they contact the Customer Service Centre
(by raising a Service Request at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance-servicerequests/) or by emailing efdservices@ucl.ac.uk explaining the nature of their
requirement.
b. The Customer Service Centre will then ask the UCL Waste Manager to
contact the Service User and provide specialist advice.
Food Residues
1. Food wastes arise from the catering facility operated by UCL’s catering contractor
or from office kitchen facilities.
2. Food wastes include:
a. Food (cooked or raw)
b. Sandwiches
c. Fruit skins/cores
d. Coffee grounds
e. Tea bags
3. Food wastes from the catering facility are treated as follows:
a. Food wastes are put, as they arise, by catering staff into food waste
collection bins.
b. The food waste collection bins are emptied once a week by Biocollectors,
the Bywaters food waste sub-ontractor who takes the waste to
Biocollectors plant where it is treated by anaerobic digestion.
c. Bywaters and the O&G Site Waste Manager complete a Waste Transfer
Note annually which is given to the O&G Site Site Waste Manager who
files it. The files are kept in the O&G Site Office, 1-19 Torrington Place.
4. Food wastes from office kitchen facilities are treated as follows:
a. Food wastes are put, as they arise, by Service Users into small orange
bags which line collection caddies located in some of the kitchens.
b. The bags are removed from the caddies each day by the O&G cleaners
and put into either Biocollectors bins or the blue bags holding nonrecyclable wastes depending on location.
c. The blue bags are then handled and disposed of as Non-Recyclable
Waste.
Non-Recyclable Wastes
1. Some materials arising from UCL’s day to day office and non-hazardous laboratory
activities are not recyclable and may contaminate recyclable materials thus
reducing their value (sometimes to zero). Such materials are treated as nonrecyclable wastes and include:
• Food (if no facility exists to segregate for disposal as food waste)
• Heavily Food-contaminated packaging
• Polystyrene
2. Bins for non-recyclable wastes are put into offices and kitchens and are denoted by
a blue bag.
3. The blue bag bin liners are removed by the O&G cleaners, tied closed, and taken to
the building’s waste collection point:
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Building collection points are designated by the O&G Site Waste Manager in
consultation with the UCL Waste Manager
• For some buildings the waste is collected in black wheelie bins
• For other buildings the red bags are piled up in the designated point outside
the building. The red bags containing residual waste are kept separate from
the clear bags containing recyclable materials.
4. The red bags are collected each day (Mon-Fri) by Bywaters, the O&G waste
subcontractor, from the designated collection point:
• The bags are usually collected in a truck assigned to collect non-recyclable
wastes only.
• In the event of abnormal operation, the bags may be collected in the same
truck used to collect the recyclable materials, in which case the bags will be
separated as the Bywaters Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
5. The truck takes the non-recyclable waste to the Cory Energy from Waste plant
where it is incinerated with energy recovery.
• NONE of the waste is sent to landfill.
6. Bywaters and the O&G Site Waste Manager complete a Waste Transfer Note
annually which is given to the O&G Site Waste Manager who files it. The files are
kept in the O&G Site Office, B05, 1-19 Torrington Place.
•
Sanitary Waste and Nappies
1. Sanitary waste arises from female toilets
a. The waste is collected in sani bins.
b. The sani bins are collected on an exchange once a month by operatives from
O&G’s sanitary waste service provider.
c. they provide an annual Waste Transfer Note to the O&G Deputy Site
Manager, who forwards this to the O&G Site Waste Manager for filing.
d. The files are kept in the O&G site Office, 1-19 Torrington Place.
2. Nappy waste arises from the UCL Nursery.
a. The waste is collected in nappy disposal bins.
b. The nappy disposal bins are collected on an exchange basis once a month
by operatives from O&G’s sanitary waste service provider.
c. They provide an annual Waste Transfer Note to the O&G Deputy Site
Manager, who forwards this to the O&G Site Waste Manager for filing.
d. The files are kept in the O&G Site Office, 1-19 Torrington Place.
Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE)
Hazardous WEEE
1. Hazardous WEEE are items of electronic and electrical waste which are defined as
being hazardous under the List of Wastes (England) Regulations 2005 and typically
include fridges (which may contain CFCs or similar) and computer monitors (which
may contain components including lead or similarly treated glass). On occasion,
digital confidential wastes may be handled in accordance with this protocol.
2. Service users contact the Customer Service Centre (by raising a Service Request
at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance-service-requests/) or by emailing
efdservices@ucl.ac.uk to arrange for fridges, computers and computer monitors to
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3.
4.
5.
6.
be collected. Members of the O&G Service Team will collect the items and transfer
them to 132 Hampstead Road where they are segregated and stored.
Once sufficient quantity of hazardous WEEE has been accumulated, the O&G Site
Waste Manager contacts ICEX, the waste sub-contractor, who arranges to collect
the hazardous WEEE and transfer it back to their treatment facility.
Upon each collection the O&G Site Waste Manager and a representative from
ICEX complete a hazardous waste consignment note which is given to the O&G
Site Waste Manager. The consignment notes are filed in the O&G Site Office, 1-19
Torrington Place, where they are kept for three years.
WEEE is manually sorted at ICEX’s site in Witham. Items are reused whenever
possible but some items are automatically sent for recycling (refrigeration units and
CRT monitors)
Depending on the type of equipment, our waste downstream is as follows:
All Refrigerators – Energy Ready - Essex CO7 7RU
All faulty TFT Monitors – SWEEEP Kuusakoski Kent ME10 2QB and TES-AM
Ayrshire KA11 5AN
All CRT monitors - SWEEEP Kuusakoski Kent ME10 2QB and TES-AM Ayrshire
KA11 5AN
All faulty Laptop batteries - TES-AM Ayrshire KA11 5AN
Mixed plastics - SWEEEP Kuusakoski Kent ME10 2QB
Metals and cable D & P Metals Essex CM8 3YU
Non-hazardous WEEE
1. Non-hazardous WEEE are items of electronic and electrical waste which are NOT
defined as being hazardous under the List of Wastes (England) Regulations 2005.
2. Service users contact the Customer Service Centre (by raising a Service Request
at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance-service-requests/) or by emailing
efdservices@ucl.ac.uk to arrange for items of non-hazardous WEEE to be
collected. Members of the O&G Service Team will collect the items and transfer
them to 132 Hampstead Road where they are inspected, segregated and stored in
a skip assigned to non-hazardous WEEE.
a. If, on inspection, a member of the O&G Waste Team is unsure whether an
item is hazardous or not, the item is set aside with the hazardous WEEE for
assessment by the O&G Site Waste Manager. If the item is then deemed to
be hazardous it is treated in accordance with the procedure above for
hazardous WEEE. If it is deemed not to be hazardous it is treated as 2
above.
3. Once sufficient quantity of non-hazardous WEEE has been accumulated, the O&G
Site Waste Manager contacts the waste sub-contractor, who arranges to collect the
non –hazardous WEEE and transfer it back to their waste transfer station. It is
placed in a secure area and bulked up.
4. A full load the waste is sent for recycling
5. Upon each collection the O&G Site Administrator and a representative the subcontractor complete a Waste Transfer Note (WTN) which is passed to the O&G Site
Administrator. The WTNs are filed in the O&G Site Administrative Office, 1-19
Torrington Place, where they are kept for two years.
Fluorescent Tubes
1. Waste fluorescent tubes are usually generated by the maintenance team when
changing over faulty lamps.
a. The lampers change the lamps and store the waste lamps locally in the
building plant room.
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b. When a number of lamps have been accumulated, the lamps are taken by
the lampers to Foster Court where they are stored in purpose-built lamp
“coffins”.
c. When sufficient “coffins” have been accumulated, the UCL Waste Manager
contacts Mitie Waste and Environment to arrange for the full “coffins” to be
removed and a suitable number of empty “coffins” to be delivered to the
Foster Court.
2. In the event that waste fluorescent lamps are produced by academic departments
the service users contact the Customer Service Centre (by raising a Service
Request at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance-service-requests/) or by emailing
efdservices@ucl.ac.uk to arrange for the box to be collected. Members of the O&G
Service Team will collect the lamps and transfer them to Foster Court where they
are stored in “coffins” as per 1.c above.
Bulky Items (Including Furniture)
1. Large items which are not covered by the procedures above are handled as bulky
items.
2. Service users contact the Customer Service Centre (by raising a Service Request
at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance-service-requests/) or by emailing
efdservices@ucl.ac.uk to arrange for bulky to be collected. Members of the O&G
Service Team will collect the items and transfer them to the 132 Hampstead Road
where they are inspected, segregated and stored in a skip assigned to bulky items.
a. If, on inspection, a member of the O&G Service Team is unsure whether an
item is hazardous or not, the item is set aside for assessment by the O&G
Site Waste Manager. If the item is then deemed to be hazardous it is further
assessed by the UCL Waste Manager who will make special arrangement for
its disposal.
3. Once sufficient quantity of bulky items has been accumulated, the O&G Site Waste
Manager contacts the waste sub-contractor, who arranges to collect the bulky items
skip and transfer it back to their waste transfer station. 92% of the output from the
transfer station is recycled and the remaining is sent to Energy from Waste. Upon
each collection the O&G Site Waste Manager and a representative from subcontractorcomplete a Waste Transfer Note (WTN) which is passed to the O&G Site
Administrator. The WTNs are filed in the O&G Site Administrative Office, 1-19
Torrington Place, where they are kept for two years.
Reusable Items
1. Service Users list items for reuse on WARPit. Once they have secured a taker for
the items the service users contact the Customer Service Centre (by raising a
Service Request at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance-service-requests/) or by
emailing efdservices@ucl.ac.uk to arrange for the items to be transferred to the new
owner. Members of the O&G Service Team will collect the items and transfer them
to the new owner.
Miscellaneous Items
Pallets
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1. Pallets are collected at 132 Hampstead Road until a sufficient quantity has been
accumulated. Then the O&G Site Waste Manager contacts Mr Pallet to come in and
collect the pallets.
2. They are then reused as pallets.
3. Any pallets that are broken or are not fit for reuse, are placed within the skip for
Bulky items (see Bulky Items Section)
Bread Baskets
Bread Baskets are collected in the Gower Court waste area until there are a large number
of them. They are then collected and reused by via the catering contractor UCL Facilities
and Workplace Services do not get involved in the disposal of these items and these are
collected by local arrangement with the Refectory.
Waste Reporting
The types of waste disposed of, quantity of each waste stream and the method by which it
is disposed is reported on a monthly basis.
Training
O&G cleaning staff are trained to perform all their waste related duties and records are
held by the O&G Site Adminstrator.
Information regarding all waste disposal procedures and contacts can be found on UCL’s
waste website. This website is kept up to date as new information, procedures and
resources are available. http://www.ucl.ac.uk/estates/waste/
Satellite Estate
For areas of the college that are remote from the core campus, there may be some local
arrangements in place for the collection and storage of waste..
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