Recycling for students in Plymouth

Parties, books and bed … while you are planning your social life and lectures, don't forget to recycle.

Many of you will be away from home for the first time, so it's down to you to do your bit to save the planet, keep your neighbours happy and help cut the amount of rubbish that goes into landfill.

The average student produces 1.5 tonnes of rubbish during a three year degree course, but getting started couldn't be easier as we have put together this check list.

What can be recycled from home?

• Paper: newspapers, magazines, catalogues, printer paper, junk mail.
• Hard plastics: milk and drinks bottles, detergent and shampoo bottles, yoghurt and margarine pots and cleaned sad meal-for-one containers, even pot noodle tubs.
• Cardboard: clean, flattened card and cardboard.
• Takeaway pizza boxes: but wipe off all the left over bits of food.
• Tin cans: empty aerosols (remove the lids), food tins and drinks cans – but rinse them out.
• Aluminium foil: such as takeaway containers, but rinse them out.

What can't be recycled from home?

• Drink cartons such as Tetrapak
• Polystyrene takeaway containers (such as kebab packaging)
• Soft plastics such as plastic bags, film, crisp packets, cellophane. Most supermarkets now take old carrier bags for recycling.
• Glass. Please recycle glass and textiles at your nearest recycling bank. Visit our recycling banks pages to find your nearest bottle or clothing bank.

For more information about general recycling in Plymouth visit our recycle from home pages.

Students in private rented accommodation

Many of you live in a shared house and will at one time argue about who puts the bins out, who hasn't done the dishes and whether the washing fairy exists or not.

We can't do your dishes or your laundry, but if you follow these steps we can help you stay friends with each other as well as your neighbours.

Step 1: Find out your collection day

Your recycling and rubbish is collected on the same day. Recycling (the green bin) is collected every fortnight and non-recyclables (the brown bin) are collected every week.

• Find out your collection day
• You can also ask your landlord or
• Talk to your neighbours

Step 2: Order your recycling containers

• If you haven't got a wheelie bin email us or give us a call. While most properties have wheeled bins, some may have re-usable bags.

Step 3: Get organised

• Be clear about what you can and can't recycle and tell everyone in the house.
• Print the student recycling leaflet from the documents table below and put it on the fridge.
• Set up a recycling area in your kitchen with separate containers for your glass, one for other recyclables and a normal bin.
• Badger any house mates who aren't pulling their weight!
• Agree a rota for putting out the rubbish and recycling.

Step 4: On collection day

• Put your containers on the boundary of your property by 6.30am on the day of your collection (but not before 6.30pm the night before).
• Bring your bins back off the road as soon as possible after collection. We will empty your wheelie bin, but we won't take any extra bins, bags or side waste.
• Make sure the lid is fully closed.
• If your collection is missed, call us and we will return within 48 hours (not including weekends and bank holidays) to empty your bin.

For more information about what to do for your collection day visit the rubbish collection pages.

Step 5: Get in touch

• If any of your collections are missed or containers have not been delivered please call or email us.
• If you have an unusual amount of rubbish to get rid of, you can order a bulky waste collection by calling us. You can also take the rubbish to Chelson Meadow or Weston Mill recycling centres.

Students in halls of residence

Almost all student halls of residence have recycling facilities for:

• Cans: please rinse
• Paper: including note paper, newspapers, magazines and junk mail
• Glass: bottles and jars

Depending on where you are staying, you might have other facilities:

• Ask your warden exactly what you can recycle in your halls
• Read the signs on the bins to check what can go in them
• Rinse cans and bottles to reduce contamination
• Ask your warden for containers to keep your recycling in
• Set up a recycling area in your kitchen
• Agree a responsibility rota with your flatmates

Student recycling leaflet [934KB]

Home recycling scheme leaflet [1.1MB]

Home recycling calendar [88.2KB]

[Back to top]