Recycling and Reducing Waste
Pembroke is committed to reducing the amount of waste generated across the College and we have sought to increase the amount of waste we send for recycling.
Recycling bins are provided across the College site, including in every student bedroom, as well as glass and food waste caddies in every kitchen space across the estate along with clear signage about what should go in each bin.
Scouts have received training by Oxford Direct Services, our waste collector, to ensure it is clear what can/cannot be recycled. Student waste bins that are not sorted correctly are rejected, to be resorted and collected at the next collection. This has increased the understanding of waste sorting within the student community.
General waste no longer goes to Landfill in Oxfordshire; instead it goes to Ardley Energy Recovery Facility which treats about 326,300 tonnes of non-recyclable waste each year and generates enough electricity to power the equivalent of 59,616 homes.
Our food waste is taken to an anaerobic digestion plant near Cassington, Oxfordshire, where it is used to generate electricity (to power over 4,000 homes) and fertiliser (used on local farmland to grow crops).
Our catering team work tirelessly to reduce our food waste from the Hall by cooking food fresh in batches on demand, requiring sign ups for formal meals, serving food from the servery (rather than self-serve) and repurposing leftover food wherever possible.
We monitor and record all food waste from plate scrapings, servery and production and are actively taking steps to reduce this waste where possible.
Example waste-reduction initiatives:
- Food waste monitoring in Hall and served side portions
- Replacement of disposable coffee cups with reusable cups in Farthings Café
- Installation of plumbed-in water coolers to reduce consumption of single use plastics
- Removal of plastic water bottles from point of sale outlets
- Removal of single-use takeaway containers in Hall - staff and students are asked to bring their own reusable containers for takeaway meals
- A juice machine replaced juice cartons (700 of which used to be used in the month of July alone, our peak time for external conferences)
- Used coffee grounds from Farthings Café are used by our gardener
