Recycling advice for students

Living in a student house

All houses in Cambridge should have:

• A blue bin (or a recycling box) for recycling mixed cans, paper, glass, plastic packaging, cartons and cardboard
• A green bin (or brown paper sacks) for compostable garden and food waste
• A black bin (or white plastic sacks) for general rubbish

Your blue and green bin are emptied one week, and your black bin is emptied the following week. Check when your bin will be emptied.

You can download a poster [PDF, 3.9MB] showing what can go in each bin. You can also download various recycling leaflets and posters in other languages and check where to recycle other items like clothing in the what goes in which bin section.

It helps to set up a separate bin for your blue bin recycling in your kitchen, next to the general rubbish bin. You can download a label to put on your kitchen recycling bin [PDF, 1.7MB].

Living in college or halls

• Recycling services differ depending on which college or halls of residence you are at
• Most colleges collect mixed recycling: glass, paper, card, cans, plastic and cartons
• For University of Cambridge college information visit your college webpage, refer to your handbook or contact your Green Officer
• For Anglia Ruskin University see the Recycling Guide

If you have mixed recycling collections, you can download a label to put on your kitchen recycling bin [PDF, 1.7MB]

University buildings

All University of Cambridge faculty buildings have collections of mixed recycling which include glass, paper, card, cans, plastic and cartons.

Moving out?

• When you are moving out of your accommodation please plan ahead and reduce, reuse and recycle your unwanted items. See our get rid of a large unwanted item and what goes in which bin pages for pointers.
• Some colleges have red British Heart Foundation banks on site for unwanted clothing, books, homewares, small working electrical appliances, CDs and DVDs; these include St Johns, Robinson, Clare, Murray Edwards, Hughes Hall and Jesus.
• If your college doesn't have these banks, donate your unwanted items to one of the many charity shops around the city

Find us on social media

Join the Recycle for Cambridge campaign on Facebook and Twitter to get updates and tips on recycling.

What happens to the recycling?

Find out about where your recycling and rubbish go once they are collected. 

Join the Recycling Champions

We're always looking for people to become volunteer Recycling Champions to help others recycle more and waste less.  Why not join us?