Waste and Recycling

In August, the popular re-use challenge returned! In August 2017 we avoided disposing of 219kg of stuff by re-using it, which saved staff over £1,500 because they sourced items for free rather than having to buy it all new.  But this August we wanted to achieve 250kg of items re-used in just two weeks! Why did we do this? Because re-use is the right thing to do - it has lots of environmental and financial benefits. The University recognises this and has a target to improve re-use by 10% by 2021. Not only was there yummy chocolate or "sugar free"…

You did it! The April Re-use challenge target has been achieved. We set staff a target to re-use 700kg of items by the end of April. It was a big challenge, and yummy Cadbury's Creme eggs (or sugar-free desk tidies) were offered to people who helped out. A big thank-you to everyone who took part - you did it! The target has been achieved and you re-used a whopping 740kg of items through the University's Warp-it portal. That's nearly three quarters of a tonne, and it has saved staff an estimated £4,488 by avoiding buying new. Why did we do…

Opinion: Dan Fernbank, Energy & Sustainability Manager Paper cups, plastic bottles, plastic straws - it seems everyone's talking about them.  High profile coverage from the likes of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's 'War on Waste!' and David Attenborough's 'Blue Planet 2' have done wonders to highlight their environmental impacts, and to encourage practical environmental action on a large scale. But are these really today's big environmental issues? The University has set ambitious targets for continual environmental improvement throughout its operations, aiming by 2021 to cut its carbon emissions by 45%, water consumption by 35%, boost recycling to 60% and continuously improve sustainable travel…

We know that cigarette ends getting discarded on the ground looks unsightly but it also has an impact on wildlife and the natural environment. As a University, we (officially!) have one of the best green spaces in the country and we are committed to keeping it that way. To encourage people to dispose of their cigarette ends responsibly, we are trialling new ballot bins. These new bins pose a question and allow smokers to vote on what they think! These have been used effectively in other areas of the country and we are looking forward to seeing the results of…