Behaviour Change Archives - Sustainability

Green Festival 2026

Scroll down to explore the full Green Festival 2026 schedule! Monday 9th - Friday 13th November Make Your Drink Count - Reusable Cup Scheme Time: All week Location: University cafes Description: Make your drink count with the University's reusable cup scheme! For £5, you can get a reusable cup with your first freshly made hot or cold drink included. Keep your cup or bring it back to exchange for a fresh one next time you visit. Get involved ahead of the University's move away from disposable takeaway cups from January 2027! Become a Sustainability Champion! Time: All week Location: Online…

Putting Our Future First: creating sustainable change in a research-intensive University

By YasminAug 28, 2026

Reading is the first university to be awarded the independently assessed ‘Evidenced Energy Conscious Organisation (EnCO)’ certification in recognition of its commitment and actions to embed people and behavioural solutions into energy management. EnCO is a not-for-profit and industry-led organisation, backed by the Energy Institute. Their mission is to make people-based solutions mainstream in global energy management. A critical element of the University’s decarbonisation plan is ongoing energy reductions. Alongside the technical projects we undertake to reduce energy use, we adopted the EnCO framework as part of the Our Future First (OFF) sustainable behaviours programme. This was to maximise opportunities…

Awards and Achievements, Behaviour Change, Energy and Water

Making Sustainable Choices Simpler in the Marketplace

By YasminJun 18, 2026

Sustainability is an important part of how we evolve our Marketplace - and we know that making more responsible choices should be straightforward, not time-consuming. That’s why we’ve been working closely with our preferred suppliers to make sustainable marketplace products easier to identify at a glance. Introducing the Green Leaf Symbol You’ll now start to see a green leaf symbol appearing across selected catalogue items. This simple visual indicator highlights products that meet a range of carefully considered sustainability criteria, helping you shop with confidence and clarity. What the Green Leaf Symbol Means So, what does the green leaf mean?…

Behaviour Change

Moving Out? Do It Sustainably (and Save Yourself the Hassle)

By YasminMay 27, 2026

Moving out at the end of term can feel chaotic - packing up your room, figuring out what to do with leftover food, and deciding what’s worth taking home. The good news? A few simple choices can save you time, reduce waste, and even help others in the local community. Here’s how to move out sustainably: 1. Pack smart (and skip the waste) Before you grab a stack of cardboard boxes, check what you already have: Use suitcases, duffle bags, and storage boxes you already own Ask local shops or supermarkets for spare boxes instead of buying new ones Wrap…

Behaviour Change

Supporting Sustainability Beyond The Lab

By YasminMar 17, 2026

The Environmental Impact of Laboratory Research Laboratories are a major producer of plastic and energy waste. Labs typically consume 3-10 times more energy per square metre than a typical academic or office space. In wet labs, heating, cooling and ventilation are often big contributors to energy use. Introducing the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) In the School of Biological Sciences (and many other science schools) we are working hard to reduce our environmental impact. One way we are starting to tackle this is by signing up to LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework), which was developed by UCL. LEAF provides a…

Behaviour Change, Waste and Recycling

Lights Out Campaign Update: Small Actions, Big Energy Savings

By YasminMar 09, 2026

The Sustainability team, supported by our wonderful sustainability champions, have been running a ‘lights out’ campaign to reduce energy waste within the University. This is because people often leave lights on unnecessarily in unoccupied areas across our campuses. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported our campaign to date! Please continue to support us by switching off the lights when they aren’t needed and reporting issues via the following Microsoft Form. We would especially like to hear about any circulation areas (corridors, staircases, lobbies etc.) which don’t currently have automated sensor controls. Campaign Activities Undertaken Comms out to…

Behaviour Change, Energy and Water

Marine conservation needs fewer slogans and better priorities

By YasminFeb 27, 2026

Marine conservation is often reduced to a familiar list of actions. Use less plastic. Eat sustainable seafood. Reduce carbon emissions. Blah, blah… These of course are sensible ideas, but repeating them endlessly risks oversimplifying the real challenges facing our oceans. Many of the most significant pressures on marine ecosystems are systemic, political, and largely invisible. The Real Pressures on UK Marine Ecosystems In the UK, key marine conservation issues include declining water quality, chemical pollution, overexploitation of fisheries, and climate driven ecosystem change. Nutrient runoff from agriculture and urban areas contributes to algal blooms and oxygen loss in coastal waters.…

Behaviour Change

The Environmental Cost Of Data Storage

By YasminFeb 04, 2026

Why the University is focusing on data decluttering DTS are running a campaign to encourage colleagues to support a data de-cluttering campaign both to help the University avoid significant cost increases in 2026, as well as decrease the environmental impact of data storage. But just what is the environmental cost of storing data? Whilst we know there is one, it can be very difficult to quantify in practical terms. How digital data storage uses energy Data is stored on local or remote (cloud) servers which consume energy. The server rooms or data centres in which they are housed also consume…

Behaviour Change

Lights out: support our energy waste reduction campaign!

By YasminNov 10, 2025

Lights are often left on in unoccupied areas across our campuses, both during the normal working day and out of hours. In some cases, there are valid reasons for this such as health and safety (e.g. on stairwells). However, in many instances the lights could be turned off without negatively impacting anyone. Therefore, saving energy, money and carbon emissions. What’s the aim? The Sustainability Team and Sustainability Champions across the university are running a campaign this autumn and winter which seeks to change individual behaviours and the culture across the university. The campaign aims to ensure that lighting is only…

Behaviour Change

Green Festival 2025

Scroll down to explore the full Green Festival 2025 schedule, or click the link to download a PDF summary of all events! Monday 10th - Friday 14th November Share your nature photos! Time: All week Location: Online Description: Get involved with Green Festival from anywhere in the world by sharing your favourite nature photos with us. Send in your best nature and wildlife snaps this week to studentcomms@reading.ac.uk or DM on Instagram. At the end of the week, we’ll be sharing a selection of our favourites to celebrate Green Festival! Raise a glass to sustainability! Time: All week Location: The Dairy…