The Waste Race: Bin it to win £200 for your hall!

Last year, Astor College topped the leaderboard with an incredible 66% recycling rate, above the already impressive average of 44% across all halls. This year, it’s your turn to show who’s really on top of their recycling game! 

The Waste Race is simple: the more you recycle (and recycle correctly) than other halls, the higher you rank on the monthly leaderboard. At the end of Term 2, the hall with the highest recycling rates will take home £200 to fund an end-of-year celebration, organised by your Hall Community Officers.  

Your efforts go far beyond the competition. Every item you recycle properly drives forward UCL’s commitments in the Sustainability Plan 2025-2035, supporting our mission to cut waste and build a sustainable, circular economy on campus.  

How it works 

The competition will run from October 2025 to March 2026.

If you live in a participating UCL hall, you’re already in the competition! The winning hall will be awarded and announced in May. 

Please note: Due to different waste collection systems, the following halls will not be able to take part: Arthur Tattersall, Unite Beaumont Court, John Tovell House, One Pool Street, Unite St Pancras Way, urbanest King's Cross, and urbanest St. Pancras. 

However, your recycling efforts are still vital in building a more sustainable UCL! Every item you recycle contributes to reducing waste and creating positive change. Read our guide on how to make the most out of your recycling at UCL.

List of participating halls

• Astor College  
• John Dodgson House  
• Ian Baker House  
• Frances Gardner House  
• John Adams Hall  
• Schafer House  
• Campbell House East 
• Campbell House West 
• Langton Close  
• Ramsay Hall 
• New Hall 
• Goldsmid House  
• Ifor Evans Hall 
• Endsleigh Gardens  
• Prankerd House  
• Ann Stephenson House  
• Neil Sharp House  
• Max Rayne House  
• Bernard Johnson House 

What's in it for you? 

The hall with the highest recycling rate will be awarded a £200 cash prize in May, to be used for an end-of-term celebration event organised by your Hall Community Officers. 

Each month, we’ll have an updated leaderboard where you can see where your hall is in the race, ranked by recycling rates. This is calculated by the amount of total recycling divided by the amount of total waste (both general and recycling). 

If recycling bins are contaminated, meaning they have a large portion of non-recyclable items in them, then the whole bag will be counted as non-recycling, and go into incineration. 

Top tips to get ahead

Stay ahead in the recycling competition with our top tips! 

1. Check before you chuck: Familiarise yourself with UCL’s recycling guidelines!

2. Only place ‘empty’, ‘clean’ and ‘dry items in your recycling bin. Make sure you clean your bottles, glasses, cans and plastics before recycling them. 

• Biodegradable and compostable packaging unfortunately must go in the black rubbish bin. 
• Coffee cups sadly cannot be recycled, please place them in the black rubbish bin. 
• Tissues, unless clean or dry, should go into the black rubbish bin. 
• Use the dedicated glass recycling bins available in 17 of our halls to free up space in your regular recycling bin 

3. Encourage your flatmates: Talk to your friends, spread the word and get everyone involved. The more people recycling properly, the better your chances of winning!  

4. Track the competition: Keep an eye on your hall’s progress throughout the competition! Check this page every month for updates and see how your efforts are contributing to the leaderboard.  

Together, we can make a lasting impact on our sustainability efforts. Stay in #TheLoop and create a more sustainable future at UCL!  

Who's ahead in the race?

See the results for October: 

1st Place: Campbell House East and West are in the lead, with an impressive 76% recycling rate! 

2nd Place: Max Rayne House and Goldsmid House are tied at a 62% recycling rate.

3rd Place: Astor College is only a few points behind, at 59%. 

View other halls' recycling rates for March:

• Ifor Evans Hall: 53%
• John Dodgson House: 51%
• Ramsay Hall: 49%
• New Hall: 47%
• John Adams Hall: 45%
• Francis Gardner: 41%
• Schafer House: 37%
• James Lighthill: 32%
• Bernard Johnson: 18%