Since the pandemic, we have seen necessary increases in some plastic usage across the University in order to protect our staff and students. Starting in November 2021, the University started collecting single-use face masks for recycling. In partnership with ReWorked, used masks are repurposed into Stormboards which are durable plastic boards for use in construction, shopfitting, joinery and much more.

The first container of face masks was collected in mid-December. It weighed only 39kg but contained more than 13,000 masks. There are now single-use facemask recycling bins in all academic buildings on our main campus, usually at the entrances/exit points.

More information on the recycling process for used masks can be found on the ReWorked website.