Waste from Educational Establishments

The headline statistics about domestic and municipal waste, which are being reported consistently in the national media, do not include waste produced from educational establishments. This is because waste from educational establishments does not fall within local authority collection remits, so it is collected by private contractors, and is classified as commercial waste.

Similarly, although there is a large amount of data compiled about the amount of waste produced by households, there is no separate data available about how much waste is produced from educational establishments. There are also currently no statutory national targets for waste reduction or recycling for any waste of commercial (or industrial) origin.

Waste disposal is usually the responsibility of the FE provider’s facilities manager, who arranges with licensed waste carriers or disposal contractors for its appropriate disposal.

The FE provider will encounter a wide range of waste types for disposal, including:

  • paper
  • glass
  • cans
  • refrigerators, freezers
  • furniture
  • clinical wastes
  • radioactive Wastes
  • batteries
  • waste electronic equipment
  • mobile phones
  • wood
  • toner cartridges

There are three main reasons for taking action to minimise waste generation and to improve waste management within the FE system:

  • Environment
The environmental costs of waste are increasingly apparent. The waste hierarchy is a strong guide to best practice in terms of resource efficiency and moving towards a more sustainable pattern of consumption.

  • Economic
Costs for waste disposal are increasing considerably, and are a strong economic incentive to organisations to reduce the amount of waste generated and to select more appropriate and economic disposal alternatives for waste that remains.

  • Compliance
Waste legislation is increasing both in terms of the scope of waste types covered and in the severity of fines imposed on non-compliance. Legislation now places responsibilities on all parties involved in the waste management chain from the producer of the waste to the person responsible for its final disposal, so all FE providers must be fully aware of their obligations relating to waste.