Waste Management

Cardiff Met aims to minimise waste production, promote the re-use of items and embed sustainability across all of its functions and daily operations. Reducing, reusing, recycling, and recovering waste is a key part of operating sustainability and making sure our students, staff, and visitors are contributing towards making a circular economy a reality in Wales and zero waste by 2050. Our aim is to keep resources in use for as long as possible and avoid waste.

Our waste and recycling figures have been recorded since 2007, since then the University has achieved major waste reduction. Where possible, items are re-used internally to encourage circularity and can be claimed through a designated space on campus or online platform Warp-It. We work closely with our student and staff community to promote responsible waste by participating in events such as the Freshers' Fayre and Go Green Week, alongside our primary waste management partners Biffa and Cardiff Council.

Where Does our General Waste Go?

Cardiff Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) treats waste from local authority and businesses. They divert around 95% of south Wales' residual waste away from landfill and generates 30mw of electricity for the national grid - enough to power around 50,000 households.

Re-Use at Cardiff Met

Cardiff Met has adopted a re-use scheme through Warp-It, a digital platform in which colleagues and local organisations can claim unused large items such as office furniture and teaching equipment. Smaller items, such as stationary and books are available for staff and students to collect from out Llandaff re-use shed.

A Waste Guidance Document is available to staff and students through internal platforms, which features an extensive list of waste items and where they can be properly disposed to avoid litter and landfill.

Reducing Textiles Waste

Each of our sites is home to a clothes donation bin which is openly available for all to use and is most utilised during the end of the academic year by leaving students, in line with a wider 'Move-Out' waste reduction campaign.

Additionally, the Sustainability team hold termly clothes swaps. Clothes, accessories, shoes and book donations are collected all year round, to be collected or swapped by students for free. This initiative saves hundreds of items each year.

Find out more in our Waste Management Policy.