Last Reviewed Date: 18/01/14
NOTTINGHAM TRENT STUDENTS UNION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS AND IMPACTS OF OUR OPERATIONS
Nottingham Trent Students Union is committed to reducing our own environmental impacts. As such, we have documented our ten most significant environmental aspects
and impacts. These impacts are both direct (e.g. resulting from operations at our premises or whilst travelling on company business) and indirect (e.g. resulting from
operations outside of the company such as emissions from power stations producing electricity). The emphasis is on direct impacts as they are much easier to influence and
reduce, although we do cover indirect impacts where we have the realistic potential to work with outside agencies, such as suppliers, to reduce our collective environmental
impacts.
We have used the definition of an aspect as “… an element of an organisation’s activities or products or services that can interact with the environment” (ISO, 2004).
We have used the definition of an impact as “… any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partly resulting from an organisation’s
environmental aspects” (ISO, 2004).
No.
1
Aspect
Gas and electricity usage
in Union buildings
2
Products sold through
services and operations
i.e. Bars and Shops
3
Catering operations
Impact
Usage of fossil fuels; contribution to climate change
a) Energy usage - during manufacture, delivery and disposal – usage of fossil
fuels; contribution to climate change; air pollution
b) Supply chain issues - workforce welfare; habitat loss; land degradation;
animal welfare
c) Packaging - resource depletion; unsustainable forestry; volatile organic
compounds (VOCs)
d) Transportation of products to us – usage of fossil fuels; contribution to
climate change; air pollution
e) Disposal to landfill - contribution to climate change; land degradation
a) Farming - animal welfare; habitat loss; species loss; land degradation;
pollution from fertiliser and pesticides
Action
The main union building at City Campus was traditionally
amongst the highest energy usage buildings of the entire NTU
estate on a per sq/m basis although monitoring was difficult due
to the layout and complexity of the building and its users.
The new City campus building is is brand new and very little data
is yet available, however, it has achieved BREEAM Excellent and
includes comprehensive energy monitoring and control.
Currently 50% of the institutions energy comes from sustainable
sources; however, we continue to lobby for improvements on
this.
Sign up to and display materials for Sound Ethical Choice to allow
consumers to make informed choices about what they buy from
us in regards to environmental and ethical credentials.
Provide improved recycling facilities for our customers to reduce
waste going to landfill.
Policy to be presented to reinforce existing practice on only
selling free range eggs
Policy to be presented to reinforce existing practice on only using
free range eggs.
b)
c)
d)
e)
4
5
Glass and plastic waste
from Bars
Card/paper waste from
Retail operations
Transport (food miles)- contribution to climate change; air pollution
Supply chain issues - workforce welfare; animal welfare
Food waste – contribution to landfill; land degradation
Water usage – resource depletion; contribution to climate change
Resource depletion (raw materials); contribution to climate change
Energy usage in manufacture; contribution to climate change
Resource depletion (raw materials); contribution to climate change
Energy usage in manufacture; contribution to climate change
6
Travel – on company
business
Usage of fossil fuels; contribution to climate change; air pollution
7
Travel – students for
Societies and Sports
Clubs
Resource depletion (fossil fuels); contribution to climate change; local
air pollution
8
Platform magazine
(external printing)
a) Raw materials (paper) - unsustainable forestry
b) Energy usage (paper manufacture, printing) - contribution to climate
change
c) Printing process - water usage; VOCs from inks causing air pollution;
contribution to climate change
d) Distribution - contribution to climate change; air pollution
e) Disposal - contribution to climate change; land degradation
9
Promotional materials
(e.g. for Ents and Events)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Raw materials - resource depletion; habitat loss
Supply chain issues - workforce welfare; habitat loss; land degradation
Excessive quantities produced due to bulk printing being cheaper
Littering – mess/wasteful
Policy to be produced to only use British bacon accredited to a
certain standard (probably the Red Tractor?).
Policy to be produced to encourage local food supply where
possible.
Get composters for food waste to reduce landfill and improve
land quality.
We already recycle 100% of glass and plastic waste
We already recycle 100% of card and paper waste
Speed restrictors are fitted on all minibuses to reduce fuel usage.
Minibus training includes efficient driving guidance.
Ensuring correct vehicle is used for the correct job i.e. not having
3 people in a minibus.
Policy to be written on car sharing; with other institutions if
necessary i.e. Notts Trent and Uni Notts travel together to
conferences etc.
Policy on not flying unless absolutely necessary (very rare).
Speed restrictors are fitted on all minibuses to reduce fuel usage.
Minibus training (for all student drivers) includes efficient driving
guidance.
Ensuring correct vehicle is used for the correct job i.e. not having
3 people in a minibus.
Policy to be written on car sharing; with other institutions if
necessary i.e. Notts Trent and Uni Notts travel together to sports
events etc.
We went fully online with Platform to save waste and costs, but
after popular demand we now print a nominal number of copies
for distribution again.
Currently investigating printing Platform on recycled or
sustainably sourced paper.
Currently investigating use of environmentally friendly inks.
Put notes in magazine to say ‘recycle when you’ve read me’.
Distribute by staff already making trips to those areas where
possible.
Recycle where possible.
Encourage all quotes for promotional material to include costings
for environmentally friendly alternative i.e. to be produced on
recycled material or from sustainable sources.
10
IT usage
Energy usage (electricity when in use) – contribution to climate change
Propose a policy to enforce more a sustainable approach i.e. not
overprinting due to bulk costing.
Enforce flyering staff to collect/pick up their waste, and recycle.
Encourage a culture of shutting down computers and turning off
monitors.
Purchase more efficient computers/equipment (all CRT monitors
being phased out – very few left).
Ensure IT equipment is included in Shutdown Procedures.
Lobbying institution for energy to come from renewable
resources.