Recycling is vital because it saves energy, land space and money, creates new jobs, reduces air and water pollution whilst preserving habitat for wildlife. So make sure you are doing your part at South Devon College.
Recycling is encouraged throughout the Vantage Point campus, and at College centres around Torbay, South Hams and Teignbridge. With many recycling bins clearly labelled for plastic, paper and cans both inside and outside the buildings along with containers and collections for cardboard, batteries, glass and clothing the Recycle message is really getting through.
The College will shortly take delivery of the new OMNI BIN. Omni bins or sacks take cardboard, papers, plastics and aluminium and steel cans – all together in one bin for recycling.
The 4 picnic benches outside the University Centre are made from 100% recycled plastic, saving a whopping 11440 2pt milk bottles from landfill!
To encourage the re-use of stationery items an area within the Staff stationery department displays re-usable files etc.
Once the various skips from around the College leave the site, approx 80% is sorted and recycled leaving only 20% to go to landfill.
Materials recycled at the College include:
Cardboard, papers, plastics and aluminium and steel cans
Once the waste is collected by a locally based company the paper is baled at their location and then transported for bulk delivery to a paper mill in the UK. Cardboard is baled at their location and then transported to a local mill for re pulping into new cardboard. Glass is collected in a mixed colour form and then bulk transported up to Bristol for re processing – colour separating and re smelting into new glass. Plastics and aluminium and steel cans are taken to Plymouth where they are sorted and processed for onward delivery to a re processing plant to be made into new aluminium and steel cans and new plastic products.
Clothing, shoes and textiles
A clothes bank for donations of textiles, shoes and clothing for the charity WACIA www.wacia.org is positioned outside Vantage Point and promoted inside the building with donation bins in the student common room and Student Union office.
Used Batteries
are collected for recycling and taken to the local waste transfer station.
Wood chippings
from the Construction block are used by the animal care department for bedding.
The Automotive dept recycle the following through special contractors:
- Oil
- Petrol
- Fuel Filters
- Coolant
- Thinners
- Spray Booth Filters
- Paint tins
- Brake Fluid
- Cleaning Fluid – from tanks
- Used cars are taken to the breaker’s yard
The Art department recycle OR REUSE:
- Bubble wrap
- Cardboard
- Fabric scraps
- Wood scraps
- Paper scraps
- Scraps of clay are recycled through a specialist machine to be used again
If you have any ideas or suggestions on how we can improve or increase our waste management then please put them forward through our Suggestions box found at reception
or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Ideas that are currently being looked into include:
- Staff kitchens save empty glass jars (eg coffee) for use in the art department.
- Vegetable peelings from the kitchens go onto the compost heap in the horticultural area – as we promote the use of
- vegetables from the gardens in our dishes this would be a complete Re-Cycle
"How waste is recycled"
Please click on the links below to watch information on recycling:
b) Food waste
c) Cans
d) Paper
