Waste and Recycling

Waste (residual waste, paper, packaging, and, in some cases, glass) is sorted in most of the university’s buildings, using a total of 132 waste sorting systems. Waste collected outside is not separated. Waste paper is compacted prior to its disposal by one of four paper compactors on the university premises. The University operates a central hazardous materials storage facility for the large number of chemicals no longer required in the laboratories.

Overall, statistics show that the waste volume has risen since 2006. However, only limited conclusions can be drawn about the development of the actual volume of waste, as the recording of waste has improved in recent years and become more detailed. It is clear that, as a result of waste separation, the volumes of packaging waste and waste paper increased significantly between 2010 and 2014, whilst the volume of residual waste declined accordingly.

The University of Greifswald stopped using plastic bin liners in waste paper baskets in 2023. This measure saves us around 96,000 bin liners per year. However, this success only works if waste paper baskets are used exclusively for paper waste. Residual waste and organic waste should be disposed of instead in the central waste separation bins or in the kitchen facilities. The savings made by eliminating the use of plastic bags go directly towards protecting the environment: they fund the full-scale use of eco-friendly cleaning products, which have now replaced conventional cleaning products as the standard across the entire university.