Sustainable Waste Management in United Kingdom Higher Education Institutions

The purpose of this paper is to assess sustainable waste management practices in United Kingdom Higher Education Institutions. A mixed method research approach using Estate Management Statistics data and semi-structured interviews was applied to evaluate the waste collection, recycling and disposal approach, recycling trends and barriers associated with recycling for five UK universities. The results show that all five institutions had increased the amount recycled by using licensed waste contractors. Universities that used coloured-coded bins for their waste collection performed better than those that used single coded bins. The results have identified barriers hindering waste management within universities. Recycling can be increased when such information is widely publicised, awareness is created through education, bins are strategically located and information of what should be placed in each bin provided. The paper provides an analysis of waste management strategies in UK universities. It has identified barriers to recycling and suggests solutions to increase recycling rates.