University Waste & Recycling Briefing:
Individual Clearouts & Spring Cleans (Sep-14 update)
Has your office been lost to clutter?
Are you meant to be moving rooms/buildings soon?
This guide has been created to help deal with a spring clean or a room clearance. It’s
been broken down into stages so it won’t feel like an impossible task.
Stage 1: Paper & Cardboard
Cardboard folders (no metal inserts), office paper, reports, journals, envelopes, magazines, catalogues.
TIP: Do not overfill the clear bags. They must be easily liftable with one hand and not split due to weight.
Collection & Uplift Process:
Paper-based:
 Request clear paper recycling sacks from the Cleaning Supervisor
 Empty all files/folders and place loose paper based materials in bags (tie once finished)
 Leave the bags near your office paper recycling bin (blue lid).
Cardboard:
 Empty and flatten all cardboard boxes
 Tie flattened boxes together in liftable piles
 Leave tied piles of card near your office paper recycling bin (blue lid).
Stage 2: Recyclable materials
Empty lever-arch folders, plastic pockets, and plastic rulers, plastic trays, clean plastic pots and bottles, empty metal
cans. Note: Folders, plastic pockets and dividers can often be reused – so put them in the stationary cupboard or place
an advert on WARPit.
Collection & Uplift Process:
 Use clear plastic recycling bags for all the above
 Leave the bags next to your recycling bin in your office
 Request clear recycling sacks from the Cleaning Supervisor.
Stage 3: Confidential Waste
Confidential papers & confidential tapes, DVDs, CDs, projector slides. Important: DVDs, CDs, tapes or slides must be
bagged separately from paper.
Collection & Uplift Process:
 Contact waste@ed.ac.uk or 650 9346 to receive empty Shred-it confidential bags and ties
 When full please fill in and send to waste@ed.ac.uk the Shred-it ad-hoc uplift form that can be on our
website www.ed.ac.uk/recycling under “C” under the “How do it…” section
 Also send in an eIT reference for this uplift.
Stage 4: Books
Hard back or soft back books
Collection & Uplift Process:
Books for reuse – All books in good condition: the Waste & Recycling team will deliver Better World Books boxes to
pack the books into. Contact waste@ed.ac.uk or 650 9346. The contractor will collect directly from your office if the
boxes are placed on the ground floor.
Books for disposal – Damaged books: please follow the Paper recycling process outlined above.
Stage 5: Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment [WEEE]
I.T Equipment, computers, lamps, fax machines, laminators, kettles, microwaves, cables, telephones, calculator,
toasters, etc.
Note: if items are recently PAT tested and still in good working conditions, why not place an advert on WARPit to see if
someone else would like to use it.
TIP: Visit http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/estates-buildings/waste-recycling/how/electronic-waste
Collection & Uplift Process:
 All cables, small electronic parts, small items of I.T (keyboards, mice) can be boxed together
 Blubs, fluorescent tubes, etc must be collected by Estates Operations via a Work Order
 Inventory your WEEE, complete a collection request proforma and email it to CCL (North) Ltd.
Stage 6: Batteries
Collection & Uplift Process:
 Hazardous batteries [Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Mercury (Hg) and Lead-Acid (Pb)]
need to be dealt with via our Chemical Waste contractor. Contact Estates Waste
Management (waste@ed.ac.uk).
 Collect Non-hazardous in a box and arrange uplift via the same route as WEEE, see
Stage 5. NB: Lithium batteries must be put into sealable bags.
Stage 7: CDs, DVDs, Video tapes (non-confidential)
Collection & Uplift Process:
 Bag tapes separately from CDs and DVDs.
 Video tapes can be added to the WEEE for CCL North as in stage 5
 For CDs and DVDs to be recycled, put them in an envelope and send by post to:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/estates-buildings/wasterecycling/how/cd-dvd
Stage 8: Stationary
Still in good condition:
 Put the items back into the stationary cupboard, or
 Advertise it via the University’s reuse portal (WARPit): https://www.warp-it.co.uk/universityofedinburgh
Stage 9: Printer cartridges
Toner cartridges from laser printers, inkjet cartridges and toner ink
Collection & Uplift:
o Order with Office Depot a free recycling cartridge box
o Arrange a free collection call Office Depot’s dedicated number: 01635 587 067 or email your contact details to
Officedepot@ceseurope.com
o The full recycling boxes must be put at main reception on ground floor for the contractors to uplift.
Stage 10: Broken pens, polystyrene, laminated paper, broken crockery
These items are not recyclable. Place in black bags and place next to your office general waste bin.
Note: broken items like scissors must be wrapped before being placed in the black bag to prevent harm to others.
Stage 11: Furniture including metal filling cabinets
Desks, chairs, tables, shelving units (not wall shelves), desk and floor screens, drawer units, filing cabinets, cupboards,
bins, coat stands, etc. and reproduction/antique furniture.
Please contact the Furniture Office on 6502076 or e-mail furniture@ed.ac.uk
NOTE: You must NOT remove shelving, notice boards, and paintings etc that are fixed to walls or ground. If you
want to take them with you, you must put a work order in via EBIS to get this done for you by the Estate Department.