Welcome – Sustainability

Manager, Jo Shields.

It will be great to see students back on both our

campuses in these uncertain and changing

times. My team and I work with the university to

help Loughborough be more sustainable. We are

also here to help you think about ways you can live

sustainably whilst enjoying your time at University

as part of the LU community.

Doing your bit for the environment is rewarding

both personally and collectively. Protecting what

we have by being efficient with resources, thinking

about what we eat, and where our food comes

from is all important. Understanding how you can

get involved in a way that works for you is the best

way to make a difference. Whether it’s something

as simple as understanding what items can be

recycled; sharing a meal you have cooked with

friends; growing veg as part of the campus

Landscaping and Gardening Society; campaigning

for something that matters; or getting involved with

our hedgehog awareness campaign.

There are a multitude of things you can do in your

time at LU to “be the change” and “do your

bit”. We can always help signpost you if you need.

To help start you off we have created the 7 steps

to sustainability guide which I recommend you look

at. You might also want to consider undertaking

the Global Citizenship element of Personal Best,

volunteer with Action, or create your own project at

home or in Halls.

In this issue...

1 Our response to Global

Environmental Change

2 7 Steps to becoming a

Sustainable Student

3 WARPit – Making the most of

our assets

4 Stationary Re-use scheme

ISSUE 4

Loughborough’s Response to

Global Environmental Change

“The science is settled. Our climate is changing,

and no matter how quickly we reduce greenhouse

gas emissions, some major effects are locked in.

This will influence nearly every area of our

business. The results will not always be

catastrophic, but unless we systematically assess

the risks we cannot know how our assets and

business processes will stand up to climate change

and ecological breakdown.” Adapting

Universities and Colleges to a Changing Climate 2019 Guide

To add to the above, we now find ourselves in a

world with COVID-19. Higher education must

engage with both debates, on the future of society

as well as on the future of education. Education,

particularly democratic higher education, is a

prerequisite for a fair, inclusive and sustainable

society. The COVID-19 crisis will broaden our view

and create new opportunities for sustainability; it

will not make sustainability a less urgent concern.

Loughborough University set up a dedicated

Climate and Environment Task Group (CETG) to

respond to opportunities and challenges presented

by climate change and the broader sustainability

agenda. The purpose of this group is to gather and

synthesise information and data, then help to plan

and articulate the University’s response to global

environmental change. The following report

identifies actions and offers suggestions on how

the University can be part of the solution.

Over the last 8 months members of the CETG have

made progress by endorsing the LU signing of the

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs) Accord and the UN Sports for Action

Climate Framework. The establishment of Terms

of Reference and a clear set of aims have been

produced with a focus on systems change looking

at the University governance process and where

sustainability considerations are evident or need to

be strengthened.

The group have also utilised its expertise and

knowledge across teaching, research, enterprise

and operations to prioritise short, medium and

long-term actions. These include plans to raise

awareness of carbon literacy amongst

stakeholders. A review of research and enterprise

activity that provide solutions. Gathering public

facing statements on investments and pensions

and the LU divestment position. An updated and

improved website to promote the LU response has

also been launched here.

The Task Group has identified eleven priority areas

that we are recommending the University should

focus on as next steps:

1. Develop a set of Key Performance Indicators

that can be integrated into the project

management process and annual planning

cycles, for the following:

● % contribution from any project to net

zero greenhouse gas emissions target

for 2050

● % spend on enhancing and improving

the green natural asset year on year

● % funding for sustainable and climate

related research

● Evidence learning related to Climate &

Environment for all students

2. Undertake a quantitative analysis of climate

risks faced by the University. These include

drought and water restrictions, impacts on key

infrastructure and facilities, teaching, student

experience, business continuity and supply

chains. At this stage, the primary concerns are

likely to be flood, health and biodiversity

impacts, along with some international

dimensions.

3. Establish key priorities to inform the next

University Strategy and produce an action plan

framework aligned with it.

4. Align targets, KPI’s and University activity with

the UN Sustainable Development Goals in

support of the sector Accord (presented at the

last Senate meeting) and UN Sports for climate

framework.

5. Prioritise climate and environment work for

internal research and enterprise funding

(including PhD studentships) to ensure we

meet our commitments in line with the Accord

and more widely promote our climate and

environment activities.

6. Identify, assess and implement new technology

and align with our own research as well as

future requirements for a low carbon estate

(e.g. boiler replacement and renewables as

campus moves towards low thermal demand

infrastructure).

7. Undertake a programme of training for staff

and students affiliated to the Carbon Literacy

Project based on the premise that if we are to

achieve net zero, then we will need to change

behaviours as well as technology.

8. Review external sustainability indices that

include environment and climate and identify

those which align with LU priorities.

9. Make the Global Citizenship framework (or

similar) element of Personal Best compulsory

for all participating students.

10. Work with other universities to develop a

sector wide strategy/options appraisal for off-

setting scope 3 emissions.

11. Extend the work of the Climate and

Environment Task Group for another 12 months

to deliver recommendations

Although the future seems uncertain in many ways,

the Climate and Environment Task Group is here to

help Loughborough understand it’s environmental

impact, and what steps we as a University and a

community need to take to stand up to climate

change.

7 Steps to becoming a

Sustainable Student

The university is committed to acting in a socially

responsible way. This means we aim to reduce our

negative impact and maximise the positive impact

we have on society and the community around us.

We have put together 7 quick and easy steps that

you can follow every day to reduce your impact on

the environment and help us as a community

promote positive environmental change.

STEP 1: Stay in the Loop

Give us a follow on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter

and check out our blog ‘Sustainably Speaking’.

STEP 2: Reduce, Reuse, Donate, Recycle

Carry reusables like water bottles, coffee cups, and

tote bags; know your bins to dispose of your waste

correctly; and donate at the BHF donation points.

STEP 3: Reduce your Energy

We all know saving energy is pretty straight

forward – if it’s switched off, it’s not using energy.

Simple!

STEP 4: Choose How You Move

We aim to make travelling to, from, and around

campus better for everyone and ease pressure on

the environment at the same time.

STEP 5: Shop Sustainably

Consider the materials used in clothes you buy –

fast fashion is a huge polluter! Learn about where

your food comes from and try to shop local.

STEP 6: Try a student society

Landscape & Gardening Society – learn skills from

master gardeners.

Veg Society – support the welfare of the

environment and animals.

Environment & Sustainability Society – discuss

sustainable living.

STEP 7: Get involved

Student Green League – If you are living in halls

ask your FREEC Rep about this.

Volunteer with Action – and assist our team with

many of our activities.

More detail on all 7 steps can be found here.

WARPit – Making better use of

University Assets

In 2018 the UK government launched its 25 Year

Environment Plan, key parts of which were to

reduce waste and improve the sustainable and

efficient use of resources. At the same, time the

UK government also launched a new Waste

strategy with the aim of tackling 8 issues including

sustainable production, consumer behaviour,

resource recovery, and food waste.

Consumer behaviour is key to reducing waste and

one of the areas the UK government strategy

focuses on is addressing barriers to reuse. Reuse

is the action or practice of using an item, whether

for its original purpose (conventional reuse) or to

fulfil a different function (creative reuse or

repurposing). It should be distinguished from

recycling, which is the breaking down of used

items to make raw materials for the manufacture

of new products. Therefore, reuse sits above

recycling in the waste hierarchy.

Our own Waste Management Strategy launched in

May this year makes a commitment to ‘reuse our

resources, improving reuse both within the

organisation but also through third parties thus

realising the value of resources’. To achieve this,

we set three goals:

1. Encourage the sharing of resources

through the active promotion of Kit

Catalogue.

2. Encourage reuse internally through the re-

introduction of WARPit as a portal of

promoting and obtaining second-hand

resources.

3. Encourage reuse externally through

WARPit but also through approved

procedures for donating or selling

resources we are no longer able to use,

where it is safe to do so.

What is Kit-Catalogue?

Kit-Catalogue is an online system which helps us

effectively catalogue, record and locate our kit.

This kit might be laboratory equipment, workshop

machines, ICT, or specialist tools. It aims to make

full use of this kit through the sharing of it as a

resource. Reuse through shared use if you like.

Loughborough’s Kit Catalogue should be used to

record any kit funded by higher education research

grants. Kit-Catalogue however has wider

implications as it also allows the sharing of these

resources with other institutions, the public and

other companies, allowing the kit to be hired out

when it might otherwise be lying idle. Not only

does this offer an opportunity to share resources

but may also save costs (hire-in rather than

purchase new) or generate an income stream (hire

out). Log your kit now and see what kit we have

on site.

What is WARPit?

WARPit (Waste Action Reuse Portal) is an online

portal which facilitates the promotion and direct

transfer of resources. Operating at both an

internal and external level it initially enables

resources to be promoted internally before they

may be offered externally to partner organisations

or the wider WARPit community. It is not a sales

site and therefore should only be used to share

resources which are to be given away free and are

not assets of value.

How could WARPit help you and the University?

Primarily designed for the sharing of furniture

resources it works for both those seeking items

and those looking to clear items.

Seeking items – in a time of financial pressure and

greater environmental awareness, reusing items

already on site is an excellent way of saving

departmental budgets and reducing our carbon

footprint. Before buying new furniture you should

therefore check to see if the item you require is

available on WARPit. Our procurement procedures

are being amended to support this.

Clearing items – offering items for reuse provides

an opportunity for the University to save on both

purchase and waste disposal costs, both of which

contribute positively in a time of financial pressure

and greater environmental awareness.

Encouraging reuse of resources where these can

move directly from one user to another saves time

and storage.

WARPit internal – all items placed on WARPit will

initially be offered for internal reuse as a priority,

some items can be classified as internal only and

temporary storage may be found if the Furniture

Team believe that it’s a high value item worth

keeping hold of.

WARPit external – has two parts, what we offer

externally and what we can claim from others.

Items we place on WARPit will after a certain

period be promoted to our external partners and

then to the wider WARPit community. WARPit

champions can also see what other WARPit users

are offering and have the ability to claim these –

the only cost is arranging the collection.

WARPit will initially operate through nominated

WARPit champions within each School and

Professional Service Department. These

champions will be responsible for uploading

available items and claiming desired items. To find

out who your WARPit champion is, please check

within your school / Professional Service

Department or email waste@lboro.ac.uk

Re-Use: Giving stationery a

second chance

In 2018/19 the University spent over £300K on

stationery products. With so much existing stock

already at the University a new scheme which has

been developed by various teams across the

University will help staff become more sustainable

whilst also saving money for their Schools and

Departments too. The idea first began when the

Wolfson School contacted the Sustainability team

after they realised they had a lot of used stationery

folders which were surplus to requirements but still

in a good condition.

The Sustainability team have partnered with

Creative and Print Services to promote these

reusable stationery items through their online

store, which staff can claim and have delivered at

no extra cost. Not only will it save teams money,

but it will also save the University money by

reducing waste disposal costs too.

Examples of stationery items that can be reused

include ring binders, lever arch files, box files,

dividers, envelopes, wallets, and hole punches,

staplers, bulldog clips and other

miscellaneous, stationery.

What to do if you have unwanted stationery in

your area:

If you have any of the stationery listed above which

is surplus to requirements (it can be new or used,

but it must be in a good condition and not broken),

contact Creative and Print Services (call 01509

222190 or email print@lboro.ac.uk) and they will

come to collect it. Small volumes of items such as

a single box file can be placed with your

Department’s mail room bag and labelled for reuse.

What to do if you need stationery:

If you require stationery, consider visiting Creative

and Print’s online store before ordering new from

suppliers. By doing so, not only will your actions be

more sustainable but you will save your

Department money too. Order what you need

based on availability, and the mailroom team will

deliver it with your post.

By ordering through the scheme all items will be

free, however should you wish to donate to the

student Hardship Fund there is an option on the

online store to do this