Waste at GCU is generated from day-to-day operations in Glasgow and London, construction and refurbishment activity at Glasgow, and the University's student residences (Caledonian Court).
In 2022-23 the University produced 726 tonnes of waste. The majority (50%) arose from day-to-day operations at the campus in Glasgow (348 tonnes). 27% was demolition waste from refurbishment projects and 23% from Caledonian Court.
In defining how we manage our waste, the University is very much guided by the waste hierarchy and the principles of the circular economy, as detailed in:
If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us .
The University's approach to waste
Waste minimisation initiatives
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Waste minimisation and reuse are cornerstones of the University’s approach to waste management and have helped reduce the amount of waste produced by 25% since 2014-15. Our current initiatives include:
If you have any waste minimisation or other sustainability ideas, you can submit it here.
What you can recycle
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Our focus on recycling has been on both increasing the range of materials that can be recycled and the quality of the materials we collect for recycling by removing non-recyclable materials, also known as contaminants. Some of our waste minimisation measures also contribute to improving the quality of the recyclable materials we collect.
Additional details on how to recycle these and other materials are available from our Recycling FAQ .
Options for non-recyclable waste
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We acknowledge that some waste streams or GCU locations have limited/no recycling options. Where this is the case, we work with our waste contractors to explore the next best option on the waste hierarchy for specific waste streams.
About a third of the waste from our Glasgow Campus is processed for energy recovery as a refuse-derived fuel (RDF), while the general waste from our student residences, handled by Glasgow City Council, and waste from GCU London are currently landfilled.
We regularly review the options available for these locations and will introduce options higher up the waste hierarchy as soon as practicable.
Visit our sustainability website's reporting page and our sustainability website's reporting page of our sustainability website to find out what proportions of waste are processed into RDF or landfilled
Construction and demolition waste
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With the exception of major refurbishment works, GCU does not generate significant amounts of construction/demolition waste. However, when we do, we work with specialist contractors that have a track record for maximising recycling and landfill diversion.
Details of the quantity of construction/demolition waste produced by GCU are available from the reporting section and the data section of our sustainability pages.
The evolution of waste management at the University
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GCU’s waste management approach is driven by the principles of the waste hierarchy and has evolved its focus away from landfill to waste minimisation and recycling.
The key milestones in the evolution of GCU’s waste management arrangements are:
2011 - End of a landfill-centred waste contract. The introduction of separate collections for food and glass waste. 2013 – The University’s waste contractor starts processing residual waste into refuse-derived fuel (RDF), resulting in reduction of waste sent to landfill. Furniture sharing portal being introduced to increase the furniture reuse within the University. 2015 – Introduction of 10p discount when buying hot drinks in a reusable mug. 2016 - Switch from virgin-stock paper to 100% recycled paper for general A4 printing. 2017 - New catering provider switched from 4-pint bottles to pergals for milk delivers, resulting in reduction of waste. 2018 - The discount of using a reusable mug changed into a 10p charge when buying hot drinks in a disposable cup. 2024 - Introduction of 20p charge for hot drinks and 30p for food purchased in disposable containers.
Recycling at the University
Guidance on how to and what can be recycled on campus
