Sustainability on campus
Minimising waste
As we move towards a circular economy system we encourage you to know when you can reduce and reuse, and when it's time to dispose of waste. Check out these on-campus options to help keep resources out of landfill for longer and help decrease contamination rates.
Looking for a quick answer? Check out our quick reference waste directory for an A to Z listing of where things should go.
Mug wall
USU café Courtyard has a mug wall where you can borrow a cup. Return it to the café so it can continue working to divert single-use cups.
BYO container discount
The USU offers a 50 cent discount when you bring your own container for take away items at Courtyard, Abercrombie, Carslaw and Laneway cafés. Don’t forget to bring your own reusable cup too.
Sewing hub
Got a hole in your favourite top? Extend the life of your textiles by mending first. Bring it into the Think Space, Room 204, Jane Foss Russell Building (G02) to use the free sewing machines to mend it! Basic sewing equipment provided.
Green Caffeen
Forgot your keep cup? Ask for your hot drink in a Green Caffeen cup at most of the cafés on Camperdown, Darlington, Camden, and Northern Clinical School campuses. It works the same way as a library: sign up, scan the barcode at the register then enjoy! Return your cup within 30 days at any participating café to make sure it’s totally free of charge.
Water refill stations
Water refill stations offering free filtered water are available across Camperdown and Darlington campuses so you can avoid buying single-use water bottles. Search in Campus maps for ‘water stations’ to find a location close to you.
Alternatively Refilled dispenses free chilled water, as well as bubbles and flavours for a fee, without producing any single-use plastic waste. You'll find it in the food court of the Wentworth Building (G01).
Mixed recycling
Yellow coloured bins are where you should put things like:
- empty plastic bottles
- empty cans, tins and foils
- empty plastic cups and containers
- clean dry paper and carboard
- empty glass bottles and jars.
Food recycling
Can’t finish your lunch? Turn it into compost to use on campus gardens by popping it in the green bins. To keep it clean, please only put in food items, not any packaging, plastics or wrapping.
Organics you can recycle are:
- fruits and vegetables
- fresh foods
- bones and shells
- cooked foods
- baked goods
- garden organics.
Paper and cardboard recycling
Some areas will have blue bins. These are for paper and cardboard recycling only. Remember to remove any plastic tape on your carboard before sending it to the blue bins.
Use these bins for:
- paper (including clean, printed or stapled)
- cardboard
- envelopes
- newspapers
- brochures, flyers and magazines.
Recycling wall
Too hard to recycle? Never! We have a hard to recycle space in the corridor of level 2 Wentworth building just for tricky waste.
Visit the wall to recycle:
- batteries (or, you can also visit one of these other locations)
- oral care
- pill blister packs
- toner and ink
- pens
- e-waste.
If in doubt, put it in the red landfill bins. This will minimise the risk of contamination to the bin load, which means that everything will be sent to landfill even if it can be recycled.
Things you should be tossing into the red bin include:
- soft plastics
- coffee cups
- cardboard and paper food packaging
- cutlery and chopsticks (even wooden ones)
- plastic packets and wrappers.
Last updated: 06 February 2025
