We're not WASTE-ing any more time
Last month, SU President Toby and VP Chrissie, visited two waste centres to see how our waste is processed. As we have both previously held the exec position of Environmental and Ethical Officer, waste management is near and dear to us.
The implementation of recycling bins on the Buckingham Campus has been an on-going conversation for many years now, so why don’t we have recycling bins?
Whilst we should be aiming for recycling bins on all our campuses, having the bins doesn’t mean we’d suddenly be able to recycle effectively – if its not done right, then the waste just goes back to our usual systems.
Although we don’t currently recycle, did you know that almost 0% of our Buckingham waste goes to a landfill!
We use a system called EfW – Energy from Waste. Waste is incinerated, producing steam which powers a turbine, creating electricity! Any toxic gases created are scrubbed and used to create new materials, the ash is used to create material used for laying new roads, meaning that all of the output from the system is a new, usable product.
You can take a virtual tour here to see how it all works; https://www.viridor.co.uk/erf-virtual-tour/
This may not be a perfect system, ideally we’d recycle effectively giving those resources a new life. However, it’s a great interim system whilst we as a student body work on educating and improving our waste management culture. This SU executive will continue to work towards implementing recycling bins, getting us back on track with our environmental goals. With this in mind, we are now welcoming our new Environmental and Ethical Officer, Louis Groarke. Keep an eye on our home page for an update on his aims!
We had a great time on this stinky yet insightful visit. The highlight was meeting all the stray cats at the first centre, who now live in a little cat hotel and keep the site rodent free <3
