What goes in each bin?

Food Organics Green Bin

The new food waste bin has a green lid and is labelled ‘Food Organics’. In this bin you can place all food waste including:

Green Bin

  • Coffee grounds
  • Tea bags
  • Bread
  • Meat
  • Cheese
  • Rice and pasta
  • Vegetable and fruit scraps
  • Leaf clippings from indoor plants.  

There is no need to remove paper labels or staples from tea bags etc.

Please do not place any tissues, wet paper towels, plastic packaging or food containers in this bin as this contaminates the whole bin and prevents it from being composted.  If you can’t eat it don’t throw it in the food waste bin!

 

General Waste Red Bin

Red bin

You can place all general waste and recyclable containers in the comingled red bins, including:

  • Plastic and metal containers and bottles, including takeaway containers and milk bottles
  • Disposable coffee cups*
  • Packaging, such as chip packets or food wrapping
  • Stationery such as pens, binders or CD-roms
  • Plastic bags
  • Tissues and paper towels

*Some disposable coffee cups have a plastic lining which means they cannot be recycled in the paper recycling bin; please put all disposable cups in the general waste red bin. All UTS staff are encouraged to use reusable coffee cups where possible.

Waste collected in these bins is hand and machine sorted off campus and recyclable items including cans, bottles and plastic containers are separated, with approximately 80% of the bin contents being recycled. Watch the Recycling at UTS Video  to see how this process works.

Music plays

There are also separate bins around the University for specialist items such as batteries, e-waste , Styrofoam, cartridges and construction waste . For the location of these bins and other information on waste and recycling.

 

Paper Recycling Bin

recycle bin

  • In this bin you can place:
  • Plain and coloured paper
  • Gloss paper
  • Shredded paper
  • Envelopes
  • Paper folders
  • Dividers and document wallets
  • Cardboard boxes
  • Magazines
  • Newspapers
  • Books
  • Cardboard

Please do not place disposable coffee cups in the paper recycling bin as they have a plastic lining and need to go into the general waste red bin. 

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.