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Waste

Resource and waste management is vital for global sustainable development. The disposal of waste presents a significant cost to the University, while reusing and recycling resources presents an opportunity to reduce procurement costs. Waste also presents an environmental risk, with impacts in terms of potential direct damage to the environment as well as indirect effects such as the release of greenhouse gas emissions from waste transport, disposal and treatment.

Our central aims are to manage resources efficiently, prevent and minimise waste, and increase recycling and participation across all University operations.

All waste is managed in line with the waste hierarchy, prevention, reuse, recycling, recovery, and disposal, ensuring that we prioritise waste prevention and reduction before any form of disposal.

Waste Management Plan 

The University of Liverpool Waste Management Plan (2021–2025) sets out how we manage the waste streams generated by our teaching, research, and support activities, and how we will continue to improve waste management practices.

The Plan ensures that waste is kept to a minimum by doing everything reasonable to prevent, reuse, recycle or recover waste, and to ensure that any waste produced is stored responsibly, handled safely, and disposed of lawfully.

Read the full Waste Management Plan (PDF)

Reducing plastic and disposable waste

The University is committed to reducing plastic waste and supporting a circular economy across all our operations. Guided by the Waste Management Plan, we aim to prevent waste at source, increase reuse and recycling, and minimise the environmental impact of single-use and disposable items.

Our approach includes:

  • Removing unnecessary plastic and disposable packaging.
  • Providing biodegradable takeaway containers and discounts for reusable cups across catering outlets.
  • Introducing a laboratory plastics recycling scheme for non-contaminated HDPE and PP plastics.
  • Working with suppliers via North Western Universities Purchasing Consortium Ltd (NWUPC) and TUCO frameworks to ensure compliance with WRAP and Courtauld Commitment principles on waste reduction.
  • Ensuring all construction and refurbishment projects aim for BREEAM Excellent or Very Good, with contractors required to minimise onsite waste.

These actions support the University’s goal of halving total waste by 2025 and align with our certified Environmental Management System (EMS) under ISO 14001.

Reuse and redistribution through Warp It

To further reduce waste and the use of disposable items, the University operates Warp It, an internal reuse and redistribution network. Warp It allows staff to donate, share, or claim surplus office furniture, equipment, and materials within the University community. This helps prevent unnecessary purchases, diverts usable resources from disposal, and supports circular economy principles by keeping materials in use for longer.

Since launch, Warp It has:

  • Diverted thousands of kilograms of reusable materials from waste streams.
  • Saved significant carbon emissions associated with manufacturing new items.
  • Delivered financial savings by avoiding unnecessary procurement.

Warp It demonstrates the University’s commitment to reuse before recycling, reducing the demand for single-use and disposable items, and engaging staff in sustainable resource management.

Outsourced services and contractors

The University’s commitment to waste prevention and minimisation extends to all outsourced and contracted services, ensuring consistent environmental standards across campus operations. All catering, cleaning, accommodation, and facilities management contractors are required to follow the University’s Waste Management Plan and Environmental Policy, which apply the waste hierarchy of prevention, reuse, recycling, recovery, and disposal.

Our partners must:

  • Use biodegradable or recyclable packaging and actively eliminate single-use plastics and disposable items.
  • Participate in reuse and recycling schemes, including initiatives delivered with SUEZ Recycling and Recovery.
  • Monitor waste performance and support the University’s target to halve total waste by 2025.

Construction and refurbishment projects must achieve BREEAM Very Good or Excellent and demonstrate waste-minimisation and responsible material use throughout project delivery. Laboratory, estates and facilities contractors are required to comply with the University’s Environmental Policy and ISO 14001 Environmental Management System, ensuring that resource efficiency, waste minimisation, and responsible disposal practices are applied across all outsourced services.

Supply chain and procurement

Our policies for minimising waste, plastics, and disposable materials extend throughout the supply chain via the University’s Responsible and Sustainable Procurement Policy.

This policy ensures that all procurement decisions consider environmental, social, and economic impact and that suppliers:

  • Minimise packaging, including the use of single-use plastics.
  • Embed circular-economy and waste-reduction principles in product design and delivery.
  • Provide evidence of sustainable practices through supplier appraisal and ongoing contract management.
  • Comply with the WRAP and Courtauld Commitment standards through NWUPC and TUCO framework agreements.
  • Meet a minimum 10% sustainability weighting in tender evaluations, reflecting lifecycle and environmental performance.

The Procurement Policy applies to all University procured goods, services, and works (including construction and refurbishment) and supports implementation of the University’s ISO 14001-certified Environmental Management System (EMS). Together with the publicly available Waste Management Plan (2021–2025), it ensures that waste-minimisation and responsible-consumption principles are embedded throughout procurement and supplier engagement.

Supporting the UN SDGs

Effective waste management contributes directly to several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Through strong governance, clear policies, and community engagement, we are helping to deliver global progress towards more sustainable patterns of production and consumption.

Our waste operations and good practice

Our waste is processed by SUEZ Recycling and Recovery, ensuring responsible disposal and maximum recycling. The University and the Guild of Students run a range of initiatives to improve waste management on campus:

  • Divert waste from landfill: all general waste is now disposed of via a ‘waste to energy’ plant.
  • Introduction of onsite aerobic composting: a Rocket Composter was successfully trialled on campus for the management of food waste produced by the Hospitality dept. Now Ness Gardens has purchased a second Rocket Composter and now recycles all the food waste arising from their catering outlet.
  • Waste audit programme developed: As part of the Student Switch Off, students have carried out detailed waste audits of the halls of residences. This has identified actions that can be taken to improve performance as well as measure the success of interventions. 
  • Food Waste Composting: The Guild of Students invested in dewatering and composting equipment to close the waste management loop, omit costly waste disposal fees and create a valuable resource to grow produce in the on-site rooftop gardens and cultivation plots. The composter is able to process up to three-quarters of a tonne (750kgs) of food waste per week and has increased the University’s recycling rates, as well as attracted businesses from across the world to come and witness our urban farming model in action.
  • Control of waste streams: the Guild of Students, , together with SUEZ, uses computerised weighing technology to accurately record the weight of recycling or waste materials collected. This has increased staff and student’s knowledge and awareness of how they can dispose of their waste and limit environmental impact.
  • Duty of care checks: Checks are carried out for all of the University’s waste contractors to ensure that the company has the necessary environmental permits and licences to remove waste and apply the waste hierarchy when disposing of the waste.
  • Leave Liverpool Tidy: Leave Liverpool Tidy is a city-wide project run by the Liverpool Guild of Students that aims to re-use and recycle your unwanted belongings, reducing the number of items that go to landfill. Find out how you can donate clothes, bags, books and other small items.
  • Battery recycling: Batteries can be recycled with convenience BatteryBack bins.
  • Crisp packet recycling: The Guild of Students has a collection point for Terracycle's crisp packet recycling scheme. You can drop off used crisp packets at the Guild reception and they send them off to be recycled. Find out more about the scheme.
  • Collection service: The University collects paper, cardboard, fridges, freezers, washing machines and other electrical and electronic components from University buildings free of charge and makes them ready to be 100% recycled. Book a collection or find out more.
  • Find out about all of the University's recycling practices here

These initiatives demonstrate how staff and students are working together to reduce waste, conserve resources, and support a circular economy.

Compliance and continuous improvement

The Waste Management Plan forms part of the University’s Environmental Management System (EMS) and supports ongoing compliance with environmental legislation. Regular audits, duty of care checks, and contractor monitoring ensure that waste is managed legally and sustainably, while continuous improvement remains a core requirement of our certification.