As a second-year student who moved into private accommodation in September, I remember I was very overwhelmed with various new adjustments to not living in halls anymore. In particular, figuring out the bin schedule and how to recycle certain materials. But, by taking a few minutes to figure out what you can do, I realised recycling doesn’t have to be so complicated. Generally, I like to pride myself on being sustainable, so I put together this helpful guide so other students can recycle productively! To begin, recycling should matter to all residents of St Andrews, especially students. As a coastal town, St. Andrews is especially susceptible to the impacts of pollution and waste. Every piece of waste improperly disposed of can have a long-lasting impact on local wildlife and the environment. It may seem obvious, but recycling is a straightforward way to mitigate this by reducing landfill waste.Â
In addition to the town’s standard recycling system, Enactus—a global network empowering students through social entrepreneurship—has made strides with its Green Start initiative, an inspiring recycling project aimed specifically at glass recycling within St Andrews. A good starting point is to familiarise yourself with the types of plastics, paper, and other materials that are accepted in St. Andrews recycling bins. Remember that contaminated items, like greasy pizza boxes or unwashed food containers, can ruin entire batches of recycling, so it’s a good start to rinse out containers before tossing them.
St. Andrews offers a robust recycling system that includes various recycling points across town. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can recycle and where:
- Curbside Recycling: Most student accommodations offer curbside recycling for paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, and glass. Ensure you check which bin colour matches each material type and clean recyclables to prevent contamination. If you live in the centre of town, residents have a single bin or seagull-proof refuse sack for general waste and recycling must be taken to a Fife Council recycling point. If one lives out of the town centre, blue bins are for landfill, green bins are for cans/plastics, grey/black bins are for cardboard and brown bins are for food and garden waste. I recommend checking the Fife Council website through putting in your specific postcode.Â
- University Facilities: The University has multiple recycling hubs across campus that accept paper, cardboard, plastics, and glass, particularly outside all student halls. Students should use these hubs whenever possible, as they’re convenient and help the University track its sustainability metrics.
Glass recycling in St. Andrews has traditionally been inconvenient and hard to access, even though recycling glass instead of sending it to landfill conserves vast amounts of raw materials, energy, and significantly reduces carbon emissions. Recognising these benefits, Green Start has introduced a doorstep glass collection service specifically for students and residents, making it easier than ever to recycle glass. They have an active Instagram page, with glass collection links in their bio for £1.99. This lesser-known option is convenient and accessible for students as numerous bottles or glass containers can become cumbersome and hard to store when they pile up. Additionally, Green Start’s collection service is staffed by neurodivergent community members from around Fife, who pick up glass directly from residences and transport it to recycling facilities. This initiative not only ensures that your glass waste is properly processed, but it also creates meaningful employment opportunities for local individuals, adding a valuable social impact to each recycling effort. By using Green Start, you’re supporting both sustainability and inclusivity in the St. Andrews community.
Here are some additional practical tips that I’ve found helpful:
Reducing single-use waste is one of the simplest ways to minimise your recycling needs. Invest in reusable water bottles, coffee cups, cutlery, and bags to replace disposable items. Many cafes, such as Taste and Pret in St. Andrews offer discounts when you bring in your own cup, so you can also save money. Additionally, consider buying items in bulk or choosing products with minimal packaging to further reduce the amount of waste you generate.
Remember the nursery rhyme: reducing and reusing should always come before recycling! Consider if you can repurpose or donate items instead of discarding them. For example, you can upcycle jars into storage containers, or reuse plastic bags when shopping at Aldi or Tesco. St Andrews also has donation points and charity shops where you can give items a second life instead of sending them to landfill.
As a student, I know that recycling can sometimes feel overwhelming or like the last thing on your to-do list. Between managing uni work, socialising, and sports, among other activities, it’s easy to overlook small habits that contribute to sustainability. However, by integrating these practical tips into your routine, you can make recycling feel less overwhelming. Each small step not only maximises recycling efforts and reduces waste but also contributes to a more eco-friendly St Andrews and Fife. By applying these habits, we as students can play an easy, but important role in protecting our beautiful Scottish town.