A large part of this is changing the behaviour of our staff and students and encouraging more sustainable practices. It could be as simple as bringing a reusable water bottle onto campus, or meeting digitally where appropriate so that you don’t need to travel to campus unnecessarily.

In a world of complex social, economic and environmental challenges, we are focused on making decisions that safeguard the environment for future generations and minimising our impact one step at a time.

What are we doing

Environment & Sustainability Committee

Our Environment & Sustainability Committee meet three times each year to make recommendations to the Senior Management Committee regarding environmentally sustainable solutions to the College’s energy needs and the procurement of all materials and equipment. They gather and disseminate information about environmental and conservation issues and development which may affect the running and the future development of the College. They also assure responsible stewardship of the flora and fauna of Lamorbey Park. If you are interested in joining the Committee as a student body representative, speak to the SU in the first instance, who will be able to advise you of the next steps!

Procurement

Environmentally and ethically responsible procurement is important to us and we are members of the London Universities Purchasing Consortium. The commitment of the Consortium to ethically and sustainably informed procurement is detailed here: www.lupc.ac.uk

As the LPUC website notes: ‘Responsible procurement is considered throughout all of LUPC’s activities. One of our objectives is to enhance LUPC’s position as a leader in Responsible Procurement and one of our big achievements has been awarded the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Corporate Ethics Mark.

What can you do?

Studying Sustainably

There are a range of actions you can take whilst you are studying to help support our collective mission to be more sustainable:

Don’t Ditch It, Donate It!

At the end of each academic year, there are lots of items in students’ rooms that often get left or thrown away. We want to change this! We’re looking to work with organisations to help set up donation points across campus, in which students can donate their unwanted items which will then go on to be reused by others in need, or sold in charity shops to help further a wider cause. This not only helps others but also lowers the carbon footprint of the institution as it reduces the amount of waste going to landfill.

  1. Take notes electronically – Instead of using paper notebooks and agendas, use your laptop to take notes and keep track of assignments and meetings if that works for you.
  2. Purchase reusable bags and one good water bottle – this will help to reduce the amount of single use plastic in circulation.
  3. Recycle – One of the oldest tricks in the “sustainability book” is also one of the most effective. You will find recycling bins near each printer and in the corridors on campus.
  4. Sort your waste – waste sorting makes it easy to recycle materials. It also makes you realize the materials you might want to try to use less of.
  5. Be smart about transportation – Fuel emissions are a significant contributor to pollution. Offset this by biking or walking where possible, or have your meeting digitally if you can.
  6. Check your lighting –LED bulbs not only provide a better quality of light, but they also use less electricity. Try them out if your accommodation has the option.
  7. Only use what you need – Lots of power goes to waste when we leave lights and devices on when they are not in use. Be sure to flip the switch when you leave the room & unplug your devices when they are finished charging.
  8. Use real dishes and towels – Plastic or paper cutlery, plates, and towels are wasteful. Use silverware and plates whenever possible and opt for dishtowels that can be reused instead of paper.
  9. Make the most out of your laundry – Wash your clothes when you have a full load, switch to 30 degrees wherever possible and hang items to dry instead of using the dryer.
  10. Be an environmental bookworm – If possible; try not to buy new textbooks. Buy used, online versions (if available) or check our library to see if there is a copy you can use for reference.
  11. Avoid using plastic straws – the impact of plastic straws on wildlife is well documented, consider trying a metal or paper straw!
  12. Carry a reusable tea/coffee cup – Coffee cups are one of the most common single-use products in the world.
  13. Shop at vintage/second hand or charity shops – Producing new clothes requires lots of energy and resources, such as water, and most clothes are made overseas, which creates an even greater carbon footprint. Buying used clothes eliminates all of that, and you’ll be surprised what you can find!
  14. Create a shopping list before leaving home – this is a very simple way to avoid impulse buying and waste creation. This will also help you stick to your budget!
  15. Report damaged water/plumbing pipes– Each day more than three billion (that’s three thousand million) litres of perfectly good drinking water is wasted in the UK through leaking pipes.