Waste management at Griffith

Griffith is working to reduce waste sent to landfill through waste management strategies. As of 2023, 59.65kg of waste per person was sent to landfill with the goal that by 2030, this will be reduced to less than 30kg per person.

Sustainability report

The total amount of landfill waste generated by Griffith University over the last five years.

General waste bins can be found throughout each campus, accompanied by alternative waste management bins.

Griffith reduces the amount of waste that is sent to landfill through an extensive recycling program. In 2023, 664.64 tonnes of waste was diverted from landfill through these recycling initiatives, an increase of 39.1 tonnes from 2022.

Recycling bins are located around campuses, inside and out of buildings to allow staff and students easy access to alternative waste disposal.

Things that can be put in our yellow recycling bin

• Clean drink containers
• Food containers
• Food tins

As of 2022 Griffith launched a new Containers for Change collection program across the Nathan and Gold Coast campuses.

There are now 84 collection points across Griffith University Campuses;

• 30 bins on Gold Coast campus
• 35 bins on Nathan campus
• 12 bins across the Conservatorium and Queensland College of Art and Design
• 7 bins on Logan

Each eligible container donated through the Containers for Change collection bins will raise funds for Griffith’s Brighter Future Scholarship Program.

In 2023, 6,140 containers were collected through this program, giving $614.00 towards the Brighter Future Scholarship Program.

All food outlets on campus currently compost on site.

This composting initiative is available to all staff and researchers, through tearoom collection bins.

Griffith’s composts this organic waste on site, with the byproduct used on campus gardens.

Across the Nathan and Gold Coast campuses there are 4 electronic specific bins:

• 1 located at the Gold Coast library
• 3 located around the Nathan campus

In the period from 2023-2024, over 1.3 tonnes of e-waste was collected through dedicated e-waste bins.

Items that can be disposed of here:

• Laptop batteries
• Household batteries
• Mobile phones
• Mobile phone batteries
• Larger e-waste items (such as laptops, monitors and other electronic equipment).

Important Reminder:

Before dropping off your devices to be recycled:

1. Back up the device
2. Manually remove any personal information (a factory reset does not necessary delete all personal information)
3. Log out online accounts (iCloud, iTunes, App Store, Google Play) and social media (Facebook, Instagram)
4. Manually turn off any Find My Phone applications (Find my iPhone and Android Device Manager)
5. Unpair any devices such as car media or iWatch
6. Perform a factory reset
7. Remove SIM card

The University also has specific battery recycling bins located at the Nathan Campus EcoCentre.

Griffith University Repair Cafe launched Initiated by Professor Leanne Wiseman (Law Futures), a leader in the Australian Repair Network and Right to Repair movement, Griffith’s first Repair Cafe was held across Logan, Nathan, and South Bank campus as well as at the annual Logan Eco Action Festival (LEAF) this year.

The Repair Cafe is a student led initiative that aims to fix items that would otherwise end up in landfill. Repair Cafes are aimed at re-empowering consumers, reducing waste, and contributing to a circular economy. Repair Cafes are hosted by volunteers—students, staff, and community members—all committed to bringing back sustainable and environmental repair skills, building stronger communities, and helping people save money.

Over 80 volunteers supported the Repair Cafes this year—fixing everything from clothes to bicycles to small furniture items—and the Nathan event alone saved 220kg from landfill.

The Repair cafes work with volunteers skills of sewing and mending, jewellery making/repairing, shoe repairs, woodworking, mechanical and electronic skills to repair items including:

• Clothing
• Jewellery
• Shoes
• Wooden items
• Electronics

Dates of 2025 repair cafes: TBD

Griffith EcoCentre has partnered with Terracycle to collect oral care waste for recycling and upcycling.

You can dispose of:

• Toothbrushes
• Toothpaste tubes
• Floss packaging

These bins are located within the Griffith Libraries and the Nathan campus EcoCentre.

The Technical Services team at the School of Nursing and Midwifery have avoided more than 1.2 tonnes of plastic waste from being sent to landfill by cleaning and reusing syringes, lines, fluid bags and soft plastics used by 900 students every week in the Nursing and Midwifery training facilities. Because the equipment is being used on medical manikins the team were able to clean and reuse equipment, with the team noting that ‘medical waste is one of the biggest issues in the world as infectious diseases have necessitated this need for single use plastics.’

In the three years materials have been recycled, the team have avoided 2,950 kg of plastics going to landfill and saved almost $70,000.

The Clothing Library is a student led initiative created to aid in the reduction of clothing waste. The library provides students with business wear that can be hired for interviews, internships, and work placements. The clothes themselves are donated by Griffith staff, alumni and community organisations.

The Goals of the library are to:

1. Improve student equity and employment opportunities by providing quality business wear to students at no cost
2. Take action towards climate change by reducing the Griffith Community’s textile consumption and waste.
3. Raise awareness in students, staff and alumni of the prevalence of exploitation in the textile supply chains and of ethical alternatives.

The Clothing Library is located at the Nathan Campus (N11_0.02) and can be visited during opening hours: