Campus Services is launching a trial of food waste collection in staff kitchens.

Food waste bins will eventually be introduced to all staff kitchens, but the trial launches this week in:

• Wessex House
• 1 West
• 1 West North

The initiative is part of the University's ongoing commitment to sustainability, and to help stop food waste going to landfill.

It also means that general waste bins may not need to be emptied as frequently, reducing the number of bin bags used.

Collections

Your building cleaning team will check how often to empty the bin. In most cases, this will be twice a week.

If your bin needs emptying more regularly or is missed, you can request a collection from the cleaning team.

The bins will be sprayed and wiped down to keep them clean and free of flies. The lining in the bins also helps to keep them clean.

What you can put in the bin

You can use the food waste bin for all different types of food including:

• Tea bags and coffee grounds
• Fruit and vegetables
• Bread and pastries

Don’t use the bin for:

• Food packaging
• Liquids
• Oil

What happens to the food waste

It is collected by BANES council along with the waste from the hospitality outlets and student accommodation.

As decomposing food releases gases that can be used to create energy, it is environmental best practice to dispose of food waste through anaerobic digestion.

The food waste is taken to an anaerobic digestion plant in Wiltshire to create methane. This is then used to generate completely renewable electricity, which is exported to the national grid.

The process also produces a digestate bio-fertiliser, which is pumped onto growing crops on the surrounding farmland.