University of Tasmania
IN-49: Innovation C

A system of more than 20 Recycling Walls have been created across the University's campuses and student residential accommodation sites to collect hard-to-recycle items. These are items that can only be recycled through specialty recycling services, not in the usual co-mingle recycling service. The Walls are accessible to more than 40,000 students, staff members and visitors to the campus. Finding and using the Walls is enabled through the provision of an online interactive map (https://www.utas.edu.au/infrastructure-services-development/sustainability/recycling-and-waste-management/accordion-recycling/resource-waste-mgt) and users guide (https://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/1447005/Recycling-Wall-User-Guide-FINAL.pdf).
The Walls include recycling streams such as pens, toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, CDs/DVDs, batteries, printer cartridges, phones and small e-waste, and bread tags. The items get turned into new items such as outdoor and garden furniture, alternative road and pavement materials and even recycled stationery. Various students have been involved in the design and research behind the walls via the Sustainability Integration Program for Students (https://www.utas.edu.au/infrastructure-services-development/sustainability/SIPS). Each student chose one specific item to research to improve the circular economy. In 2021, 1,007 kg of recyclable materials were collected through the Recycling Walls across the state, this represents more than a tonne of material that would have otherwise gone to landfill. By collecting these recycling streams, the University is supporting a circular economy through supporting the specialty recycling facilities.
Most of the recycling walls were made from old filing cabinets sourced from the University's Re-Use Program (https://www.utas.edu.au/infrastructure-services-development/sustainability/recycling-and-waste-management/re-use-program), further contributing to a circular economy. These ‘DIY’ recycling walls have custom graphics attached to the fronts, tops, and sides to provide information about the recycling streams being collected (where the materials go, how they are recycled and into what sorts of products). Hence, the Recycling Walls are also used for on campus and public sustainability education. They are featured in the virtual Sustainability Tour, during Orientation Week tours, for school and childcare centre visits to the campus. The Recycling Walls have been also featured in presentations to schools and education organisations, to share advice about how they can set up and manage their own walls.