Andy Stahly – not just about the bins

Amanda Skinner

Tuesday 4 March 2025

Andy Stahly is the Environment Manager on the Estates team, working behind the scenes to manage waste effectively. We caught up with him to learn about his role and what a recycling utopia in St Andrews might look like.

Tell us about your role and something people might not know about it. 
Many people assume my job is mainly about bin management, which is partly true, but there’s much more to it. 

As part of the University’s sustainability strategy, our team works towards a more circular economy, focusing on reducing waste and extending the life of items. 

I also monitor all types of waste streams to ensure we have accurate data and are complying with legal waste management requirements. The University has a duty of care to ensure waste is treated correctly, so I liaise with various waste companies and sometimes visit sites to see for myself what happens to the waste.

What have you been working on recently that’s new to your role?
Ultimately, we aim to prevent waste from being produced in the first place, reducing the need for recycling. There are various waste streams that can cause confusion regarding recycling, so the Environment Team has been exploring ways to improve communication through social media. 

In the summer of 2024, we recruited a student through the internship scheme at the Careers Centre to boost engagement with staff and students. We created short videos, or reels, with detailed information and engaging content to raise awareness of recycling and other initiatives. 

This initiative proved very successful, with one video reaching over 12k views. It’s now become part of the Sustainability Coordinator’s role— a 12-month graduate position within the Environment Team that links the university with staff and students.

What are the major challenges to recycling in St Andrews? 
St Andrews has a diverse community, with staff and students from all over the world. This requires cultural awareness, as recycling practices may differ or not even exist where some people are from. 

The University estate is spread across a large area, including teaching spaces, laboratories, and student accommodation, which makes centralised bin and recycling systems difficult to manage.

What led you to this point in your career?
I have a varied background. I started my career as an apprentice in the water industry and trained as an engineer. I then worked in the manufacturing sector as an engineer and manager, before returning to work for a water company. For 10 years, I worked in anaerobic digestion plants, where food waste is converted into biogas, liquid fertiliser, and compost. 

In these companies, I also managed environmental compliance, including landfill management, waste data, and process management in Mixed Recycling Facilities (MRFs), leachate treatment, and various accreditations. 

This experience led me to my current role as Environment Manager within the Estates department at the university. It’s a challenging and rewarding role, as influencing change in behaviour is difficult. We need to challenge current ways of thinking for the greater good.

In an ideal world, what would recycling look like in St Andrews?
There needs to be greater responsibility placed on waste producers, such as the companies we buy from, including food packaging. The focus should be on waste avoidance. I’d like to see more “take back” schemes offered by these companies. 

A good example of this is already happening in the science schools, where Winchester bottles are returned to the manufacturer. It’s great to see staff collaboration making this process possible. 

Ideally, we’d have a fit-for-purpose recycling system with continued improvement. We are seeing small increases in recycling rates, but this needs to continue. Our team must maintain effective communication with staff and students.