Please go through this information and sign the section at the end.
UWE + Sustainability – staff induction
‘Sustainability isn’t just about recycling – it’s about how we view the world, use its
resources and build its future. It’s about all of us in it together.’
Emmanuel Okon Student Union president 2012/3
Changing lifestyles+ building futures: When you come to UWE you are
joining a community which cares about sustainability: it is central to everything
we do from Procurement to Green buildings and IT. Where do you fit in?
We ask you to do what you can in your area and we will actively support you.
We still need help with the basics: recycling, energy switch off and travel.
Recycling: staff aiming for 93% recycling rate: Most staff recycle – 80%
of rubbish on average goes into the bins in the offices, but we are aiming for
more: we reckon 93% of all rubbish can go into our various recycling bins.
The size of the problem: UWE spends just under a third of a million pounds
annually on waste disposal and sends over 1000 tonnes waste to landfill: that’s
equivalent to filling 4 Olympic sized swimming pools with rubbish every year.
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Find out where the nearest recycling bins are. Put rubbish in the right
bin - if a bin has the wrong things in it, the whole lot goes to landfill.
Note that disposable coffee cups cannot be recycled, but the lids can.
Avoid waste: bring your own cup and get 10p off your drink in cafes.
Stop press: re-use through WARPit: UWE now has its own free-cycle web
tool WARPit which you can use to advertise/claim unwanted UWE items. For
more info google ‘UWE warpit’’
Energy use: Staff cutting use by a minimum of 10%: UWE has regular
energy challenges in which staff save over 10% of normal use. This cuts the total
amount used to heat and power our buildings, which costs over £3 million and is
responsible for nearly 18,000 tonnes of CO2 per year – that’s equivalent to the
energy used to produce 32 million kgs of bananas.
You can help by making sure you use energy efficiently. Think about:
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your computer and screen: switch your screen off when not in use and
computer and screen at the end of the day.
printers scanners and projectors: ensure these are switched off when
not in use and at the end of the day.
common spaces: identify some-one to be responsible for switching off.
lights: check if you need them on and use natural light instead.
printing: print less, double sided or booklet, use black and white.
Travel: staff taking up cycling and car sharing: UWE encourages staff to
get out of their cars when they can. A massive 34% of our carbon footprint
comes from commuter travel by students and staff, much of which is by car.
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To make it easier for you to get here in other ways, UWE invests
£400,000 per year in cycle parking and a subsidised bus service
Wessex Red (www.wessexred.co.uk).
To encourage drivers to bring passengers and so cut traffic, we
provide priority parking for car sharers in car park 1 at Frenchay.
We know that walking cycling car sharing and taking the bus and train
are better for the environment but you may be surprised, they are often
quicker and cheaper than driving eg the annual average cost of
running a car is £2200 whereas the Wessex Red yearly pass is £309.
Or buy a bike through Cyclescheme and save up to 35% of cost –
contact UWE Human Resources.
2012 Travel challenge results: from Gloucester Road 3 kms away in rush
hour - bus took 38 minutes, cyclist 18, motor cyclist 16, walker 58, and car 53
and runner 28 minutes. Makes you think about travelling differently!
Green things at UWE; take a break and come along
Monthly farmers’ markets, regular wild-life walks, the new university garden,
Fairtrade goods and local and seasonal food in the shops and cafes
All-UWE events such as Sustainability week, (Oct) Go Green Week (Feb),
Fairtrade Fortnight (Feb/March)
PLUS other activities such as Bike trains, tours of Buildings, travel stalls
All advertised in snippets on the web home page and in the staff weekly e-news
Want
Wanttotoget
getinvolved?
involved?Yes
Yesyou
youcan.
can.
To find out more, contact the Sustainability network of over 100 supporters of
Services and Faculty staff and student groups: sustainability@uwe.ac.uk
For info, feedback, ideas or questions: uwe.ac.uk/sustainability email
sustainability@uwe.ac.uk tel 0117 3282658 or Facebook ‘UWE sustainability’
Signed …………………………. …….Signed……………………………………..
New staff member
Induction staff member
Feb 2013