ICT News, July 2006

Additional news items are available to staff only.

Successful IT equipment recycling pilot

In mid-July, the Campus Property and Services Environmental Strategies Team organised an extremely successful pilot collection of outdated IT and electronic equipment, with the help of IT and ICT staff in 19 schools and centres and 11 administration units across the Camperdown and Darlington campuses. Removal was arranged for more than 120 cubic metres of old equipment, including computers, monitors, printers and copiers, and taking up more than three 6-tonne truckloads over three days, plus a smaller truckload on the fourth day of collections. Over 98% of this material will be recovered, including metals, glass and most plastics, leaving only 2% to go into landfill. The picture shows just a fraction of the total haul.

Apart from the environmental benefits, removal of old equipment releases valuable storage space, and a coordinated approach saves administrative effort across the University. As the University's leasing approach for new desktop and laptop PCs comes more fully into play over time, so that old equipment is returned at lease end, the need for recycling will diminish. However, the Environmental Strategies Team will investigate the possibilities for future coordinated recycling collections as part of a series of SUstainable Campus Plans.