{"id":58,"date":"2026-03-12T15:43:59","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T15:43:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/sustainable-imperial\/?p=58"},"modified":"2026-03-16T08:22:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T08:22:13","slug":"how-does-recycling-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/sustainable-imperial\/2026\/03\/12\/how-does-recycling-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How does recycling work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Florence Hale (Waste and Recycling Manager) and Stav Friedman (Sustainability Engagement and Project Support Officer)<\/em><\/p>\n

Ahead of Global Recycling Day<\/a> on Wednesday 18 March, let\u2019s break down what recycling is and how it even works. The Sustainability Hub and Property Team have put together our top tips (and some fun facts) so everyone can be a recycling pro!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Recycling can be defined as breaking down waste material to make a new product.<\/p>\n

For\u00a0example,\u00a0breaking\u00a0down paper to make cardboard, breaking down glass to make insulation, breaking down plastic to make garden furniture.\u00a0To\u00a0conserve\u00a0resources and protect the environment\u00a0we must recycle more,\u00a0but\u00a0recycling alone\u00a0will not\u00a0save the planet. We\u00a0must\u00a0also\u00a0generate\u00a0far\u00a0less waste to begin with.\u00a0So how do we recycle more and waste less?\u00a0To answer these questions, we must first understand what happens to our recycling.<\/p>\n

When a lorry of recycling arrives at\u00a0a recycling\u00a0facility, it tips its whole load onto the floor where it is visually inspected. If it looks\u00a0like\u00a0more than\u00a015-20%\u00a0of the material is\u00a0non-recyclable,\u00a0the whole twenty tonne\u00a0load\u00a0is\u00a0redirected to incineration.\u00a0This is because there is a limit to how much contamination the\u00a0machinery in the facility can remove\u00a0in the time\u00a0it has\u00a0available.\u00a0Although, in that 20 tons,\u00a0Imperial\u2019s\u00a0contribution will be a\u00a0fraction of the\u00a0load,\u00a0the more contaminated our recycling, the more likely the load is to be rejected.\u00a0As individuals and as an organisation, we can do our bit to\u00a0increase the likelihood that our waste materials will go on to have another life by\u00a0putting things in the right bin.<\/p>\n

Some common contaminants in\u00a0our recycling include paper hand towels, coffee cups, takeaway boxes and plastic wrappers.<\/p>\n

These should go into\u00a0general waste instead.\u00a0If you are unsure if something can be recycled, remember the saying, \u201cif in doubt, keep it out\u201d\u00a0of the recycling bin.<\/p>\n

\"Imperial'sIn this way, segregating\u00a0our waste correctly\u00a0can help to lessen the impacts of our\u00a0discarded materials,\u00a0but\u00a0the\u00a0only way to\u00a0know\u00a0for sure\u00a0that\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0not contributing to\u00a0the problems\u00a0caused by our linear economy\u00a0is to\u00a0generate\u00a0less waste in the first place.\u00a0Fortunately, this is something we have much more control over than the fate of our recycling!<\/p>\n

The best way to generate less waste is\u00a0through reuse.\u00a0The more times something is used, the better for the planet.\u00a0You can do your bit by\u00a0bringing reusables with you to campus so that you\u00a0do not\u00a0have to buy food and drinks in single-use packaging. As an organisation, we\u00a0want\u00a0to make\u00a0reusing as easy and rewarding as possible,\u00a0which is why we invested in new and improved\u00a0water\u00a0fountains\u00a0for refilling bottles, and\u00a0why we are\u00a0currently\u00a0trialling a\u00a0reusable\u00a0coffee cup\u00a0system\u00a0in the\u00a0Senior\u00a0Common\u00a0Room.<\/p>\n

We are also\u00a0moving away from\u00a0\u2018back-of-house\u2019\u00a0single-use items\u00a0like paper hand towels and plastic bin liners\u00a0by\u00a0installing\u00a0air\u00a0dryers\u00a0and by removing excess bins, respectively.<\/p>\n

What can you do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n