University campuses, bustling hubs of activity and innovation, offer a unique opportunity to pioneer eco-friendly practices. By adopting greener habits, universities can play a vital role in reducing their carbon footprint and combating climate change. From transport to food, let’s explore some practical swaps that can make campuses greener and cleaner.
Sustainable Transportation Options
Bike-sharing programmes provide an efficient, eco-friendly way to travel short distances. They reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, while also promoting healthy lifestyles. Universities can set up racks with rented bicycles, making it easy to hop on and off. It’s a win-win, isn’t it? Simple, effective, and kind to the planet.
Universities can partner with local transport services to offer discounts or free passes to students and staff. This incentive makes public transport a budget-friendly and greener option. By shifting more commuters to buses and trains, we cut down on the number of cars on the road, reducing emissions and fuel consumption.
Eco-Friendly Dining Choices
The Devil’s Kitchen is a fresh company that offers plant-based food (with no palm oil) for caterers. Free from the 14 major food allergens (and free from soy), these are sold in compostable case liners and FSC-certified boxes, they also contain no air-freighted ingredients.
The range includes
- Shiitake mushroom burgers
- Jamaican jerk burgers
- Spicy vegan balls
Why not offer food grown just a stone’s throw away? Sourcing from local farms ensures fresher, tastier dishes while supporting the local economy. It reduces the carbon footprint of transporting food long distances. When dining halls highlight ingredients sourced from nearby, they promote sustainability and transparency.
Waste Management Improvements
University of Bath has a Leave No Trace policy. Students, staff and visitors can bring their own containers to buy surplus food for £2.50 and there’s also a community larder to collect or donate items. They offer reusable travel cups and a reusable pizza box scheme, and refill stations to stock up on food and snacks, with water refill stations and Terracycle recycling box points.
Students can also compete to see who recycles the most, and the winters get a food voucher. And at term’s end, there are donation banks on campus to donate items to raise money for charities (we would respectfully suggest not to raise money for British Heart Foundation but instead use funds to help humane research instead).
By offering reusable containers and encouraging their use, universities can drastically cut down on single-use waste. Chopsticks, forks, or straws made from eco-friendly materials may seem like a small step, but collectively they make a massive difference.
Rent Your University Text Books
This is not just cheaper for you, but means you can sell or donate them on at end of use, for someone else. Saves trees and money (so you can buy more beer!) You can save up to 66% by renting textbooks from indie bookshop Blackwell’s. You can order books by post or collect in person, if you’re studying at Oxford University (clever you!)
Creating Green Spaces
Community gardens are where learning meets nature. They provide fresh produce and vibrant spots for relaxation and social interaction. Students can learn about gardening, food production, and sustainability first-hand. What better way to engage with nature than to nurture it right on campus?
Use no-dig gardening and fruit protection bags (over netting, which can trap birds and wildlife). Learn how to create pet-safe gardens (use humane slug/snail deterrents). Avoid facing indoor foliage to gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows.
Using native plants for campus landscaping is another great green idea. Native species are adapted to the local climate and soil, requiring less water and maintenance. They support local wildlife and help maintain ecological balance. A campus adorned with vivid wildflowers or sturdy shrubs is not just beautiful but also ecologically sound.
