Tag Archives: Sustainable action

Colleague Volunteering: National Trust Gardeners for the Day

On Friday the 25^th of October, 14 colleagues from Estates and Facilities took a trip to Seaton Delaval Hall to work as volunteer gardeners for the day under Newcastle University’s colleague volunteering scheme. It was a really rewarding experience, so read on to hear more about our day!

Seaton Delaval Hall is a National Trust grade 1 listed building in Northumberland, with stunning formal gardens and relaxed, biodiverse woodlands. The property was designed in 1718 for Admiral George Delaval.

Our role

The lovely team of gardeners briefed us on our role for the day – to assist with digging, weeding and pathway edging in the Oval. The Oval Garden was once the location for the notorious Delaval parties, but today it is a perfect space for a peaceful walk or picnic. We made our way around the perimeter of The Oval using shovels, lawn edging tools and leaf rakes to create a border between the lawn and the hedge. Volunteering provided a great opportunity to spend some time outside and we also spotted a variety of wildlife including pheasants, a 22-spot yellow ladybird, and a lot of worms! It was great to get stuck in, and (especially as a new member of the team), get to know everyone a bit better in a relaxed setting.

After a coffee and lunch break at the on-site Brewhouse Café, we got back to work and finished off the job. As a thank you for our help, Senior Gardener Sarah Peilow gave us a tour of the grade 2 listed Seaton Delaval Hall gardens, where we got to see the Halloween decorations around the hall, and the vibrant garden.

Benefits of Volunteering

It is a fulfilling way to spend the day!
You can chat to new people and gain valuable skills.
It can make a positive difference to our local community.
It can strengthen your teamwork abilities!
It can enhance your mental and physical wellbeing.
If you partake in volunteering outdoors, it can provide opportunities for colleagues to build a connection with the environment and local wildlife.

Thank you so much to the team at Seaton Delaval Hall for being so welcoming and supportive throughout the day, and for the work they do to keep the site so beautiful. Also, thank you to James Adshead for organising the day! I would highly recommend for other colleagues at the university to take advantage of the volunteer scheme which offers two paid volunteering days with a charity each year. More information on the colleague volunteer scheme can be found here, and find out how you can volunteer at Seaton Delaval Hall here.

References

National Trust, 2023. Seaton Delaval Hall. Available at: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/seaton-delaval-hall?awc=3795_1730111269_89f2fe73ec40fc50fb7dc0077ab113f5&campid=Affiliates_Central_Mem_AWIN_Standard&aff=271445&dclid=CIKW-NzusIkDFe9GHQkdq8su6w (Accessed 4 Nov, 2024).

Reuse, Refill, Recycle

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Could you buy nothing new for just one month?

Nothing New November is a UK wide challenge that calls the public to fight overconsumption and impulse purchases by buying nothing new for one month (excluding essentials like food etc). The aim is to waste less, make the most of the stuff we already own, and cut our carbon footprint (Keep Britain Tidy, 2024).

As part of Nothing New November, we have been thinking of ways to shop for essentials in a more planet friendly way! So, this month I have been exploring the independent, sustainable shops in and around Newcastle. I hope this blog will encourage others to pay these amazing little shops a visit, and we can all try to be a bit more mindful about the things we buy, and the waste we create.

How to use a re-fill shop?

Using a re-fill shop can seem a bit daunting if you haven’t done it before, so I’ve put together some tips to help first time shoppers:

Collect some empty containers, glass jars work well. Often the re-fill shops have some you can buy too so don’t worry if you don’t have any.
Take a list of items you’d like to buy with rough measurements of how much you need, and head to the re-fill shop with your clean, empty containers.
When you arrive, speak to the staff! They are always so helpful and explain the process to you. But normally they weigh your empty jars before you fill them up.
Then just fill up your jars with whatever you please and the containers will be weighed again, and price totalled up at the till like any other shop.
Enjoy all your plastic free goodies!

Re-fill shops around Newcastle

109 General Store, Heaton

109 General Store is a family run low-waste general store located on Heaton Park Road. They have a variety of green cleaning products, sweet treats, fruit, veg, local eggs and fresh bread from Northern Rye. The in-store staff are friendly and are happy to help customers, or you can order food online for click and collect. I often do my weekly shop here then pop next door to their sister shop Heaton Perk for a coffee, Newcastle’s only coffee shop exclusively using glass bottled dairy milk.

2. Ernie, Stepney Road, Ouseburn

Ernie is a small deli shop located in Ouseburn which sells organic veg, household refills, and unique local cooking items and gifts from sustainable and small businesses. You can order locally sourced fresh produce to your door using Ernie’s fresh delivery service, delivered on Fridays by bicycle!

‘Real people, real food, less is more, buy less, buy better – making a difference is always within reach.’
(Ernie Ouseburn, 2024)

3. Buy the Kilo, Tynemouth

Buy the kilo is another family-run refill shop located on platform one of Tynemouth metro station. After a walk on the beach, I stopped off to check out this shop and pick up some oat milk. The shop is hidden down a little alley of independent businesses in shipping containers, which if you’re not looking for you probably would never notice! It was my first time visiting the shop, and the ladies working in the shop were more than happy to help and walked me through exactly how to work the weighing system. The shop also exhibits artists’ work that highlights issues about the environment, making it a must visit if you’re in Tynemouth!

Thank you for reading this blog, I hope you enjoyed it! A big thank you to the owners of these shops for all their efforts in reducing waste. Let us know in the comments if you visit any!

Green Impact Launch and LEAF update!

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At Newcastle University, we recognise that the climate crisis must be addressed communally, and we cannot meet the sustainability targets set out in our Climate Action Plan without the efforts of all our colleagues and students.

Green Impact and LEAF are two amazing programmes available for our colleagues at the university, with the opportunity for participants to win bronze, silver, and gold awards for sustainability. Earlier this month, the Environment Awards recognised and celebrated the achievements of our colleagues and students over the past year, with 11 teams receiving Green Impact awards and 10 teams receiving LEAF awards. A massive congratulations to those teams!

So, read on to find out how you can get involved in the next programme of Green Impact or LEAF, and play your part in increasing environmental sustainability on campus!

Green Impact

Green Impact is a United Nations award-winning programme which promotes environmentally and socially sustainable behaviour across organisations. At Newcastle University, colleagues can sign up to Green Impact and create teams within their work area, with actions assigned to complete in the online toolkit. The toolkit is aligned with the UN Sustainability Goals, with themes such as energy, water, waste, travel, biodiversity, communication, and wellbeing.

This is a great opportunity to improve your knowledge on environmental issues and contribute to meaningful sustainable change in your workplace, whilst collecting some awards to display!

How to get involved:

Sign up to Green Impact online from the 11^th of November.
Chat to your colleagues in your work area about Green Impact teams and either join one that’s already been created or create a new team.
Email sustainable-campus@newcastle.ac.uk to join the Green Impact Teams channel, and chat to other teams!
Work through your assigned actions. Each action grants a certain number of points which then add up to the bronze, silver, and gold awards.
Our friendly student auditors will come round to check your progress later in the year.
The Environmental Awards will be held in June, with engraved recycled slates for teams that made it to Bronze, Silver, or Gold.

LEAF

Our laboratories are essential in enabling the groundbreaking research conducted at Newcastle University, and scientific research is vital in mitigating the climate crisis. However, traditional laboratory practices can come with unintended environmental impact (Freese et al, 2024).

LEAF, or the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework, is an online platform for laboratory users designed by UCL to improve the sustainability and efficiency of laboratories. Similar to Green Impact, lab teams work through sustainability actions to reduce waste, water, and energy along with improving the efficiency of other resources. There is an upcoming refresh of the LEAF actions and criteria, so sign up now to be a part of this updated programme.

Image: Diversity of Life Lab Session (Biology & Zoology). Photo Credit: Chris Bishop.

How to get involved?

Sign up on the LEAF login portal
Register with your institutional email, then login and either join an existing lab, or request a new lab (if your lab is not already listed).
After your account is verified, work with your team through the bronze, silver, and gold criteria. Members of the Sustainability Team will assess your progress along the way, and certificates will be awarded at the Environmental Awards!
Every year, progress to a higher certificate, or re-audit to keep your accreditation.

Key dates:

Relaunch of Green Impact on Monday the 11^thof November
Criteria Update of LEAF on Monday the 11^th of November.
Green Impact Launch Webinar on Thursday the 14^th of November, Sign up here.
LEAF teams channels launch on Friday the 1^st of November.
Celebrating Success Environmental Awards: June (date to be announced later).

Thank you for reading, and we look forward to welcoming some new teams to Green Impact and LEAF this year!

References

Freese, T., Elzinga, N., Heinemann, M., Lerch, M.M. and Feringa, B.L., 2024. The relevance of sustainable laboratory practices. Rsc Sustainability, 2(5), pp.1300-1336.

Sustainability Week: the highlights!

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Running Monday through Friday last week, Newcastle University Student’s Union (NUSU) collaborated with a wide variety of groups and individuals (including us the Sustainability Team!) to organise an action-packed week of sustainability events. Read on to learn more about the range of engaging and thought provoking sessions put on!

Image: an aerial shot of the Students’ Union building with other campus buildings, Leazes Park, and St
James’ Park in the background. Credit: Elemental Photography.

Monday 19 February

Second-hand Market
To kick off the week, Alex Theodosiou (NUSU’s Activities Officer) organised a market of student-run stalls for our university community to come together and exchange items. Championing reuse and the circular economy, the event helped to find new homes for a variety of items and thus extended their useful lifespans!

Information Stalls/Q&A with Newcastle University
Next, in the nearby King’s Road Boiler House, we in the University’s Sustainability Team hosted a Q&A and information fair on everything sustainability at the University and beyond! Stall holders included Newcastle City Council, the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, and the Student Brewing Society. Additionally, our Q&A panel included sustainability professionals from our team alongside postgraduate students, NUSU representatives, and our Pro-Vice-Chancellor Global and Sustainability, Richard Davies!

Give it a Go: Making Upcycled Crafts Tea Lights
Continuing the circular economy theme of the morning’s second-hand market, Monday finished with an upcycling workshop to create home décor at no cost to the planet! The social was a lovely, relaxed way to wrap up the first day with new people and a chance to get creative.

Tuesday 20 February

Swap Shop
Tuesday began with a return of the popular Swap Shop initiative at NUSU! The event drew colleagues and students from across campus to reduce purchases of new items and instead find new homes for all sorts of clothing via direct swaps. This non-monetary approach was continued at the end, with all unused clothing being donated to local charity shops!

Give it a Go: Charity Shop Tour
Following on perfectly from the morning’s Swap Shop, Tuesday afternoon featured a tour of our favourite charity shops in town and introduced colleagues and students to the range of quality items that can be found when low-impact shopping!

Image: students walk through Armstrong Quad surrounded by greenery. Credit: Nick Figgis.

Wednesday 21 February

Fossil Free Careers Workshop with People and Planet
Offering information and ideas for greener futures, the Fossil Free Careers campaign joined People and Planet to host an engaging workshop on sustainable work and decarbonising the recruitment industry.

Give it a Go: Beach walk and collecting items for upcycling crafting
Wednesday afternoon saw a trip to the coast to explore King Edward’s Bay and Long Sands beach and learn about the valuable crafts materials we’d elsewise simply walk past. The trip included gathering of shells, pebbles, and driftwood, all in preparation for the crafts session on Thursday!

Thursday 22 February

Sustainable Finance with John Adams
The first session on Thursday was a workshop with former banker John Adams on the financial flows and major state and corporate players fuelling climate change. The session widened to include a wide range climate change associated issues and offered food for thought on the ways that the financial and fossil fuels industries can be influenced to reduce their climate destruction.

Give it a Go: Making beach upcycled crafts
The second part to Wednesday’s beach walk, Thursday finished with an upcycling crafts session to transform the resources gathered the day before into stunning decorations!

Friday 23 February

Pond Workshop & Ouseburn Trip with Mike Jeffries
To finish off the week, NUSU Go Volunteer and Eco-soc came together with Professor Mike Jeffries of Northumbria University for a hands-on introduction to small scale freshwater habitats, the biodiversity they support, and how we can create and maintain them in our communities! This session was especially relevant as proposals from the Student Environment and Sustainability Committee for a pond habitat here on campus are currently being considered in plans of projects here at Newcastle University.

A huge thank you to NUSU and everyone who got involved to make this such an incredible week of community building, awareness raising, and sustainable action!

2023: A year in sustainability

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2023 was a busy year for us in the Sustainability Team! We launched projects, ran events, helped the University to score highly in prestigious league tables, and welcomed new team members to continue and expand our work.

Delivering a sustainable Newcastle University is complex and multi-faceted work and requires a great deal of coordination and involvement between teams, colleagues, and students across the University. These efforts have led to sustainability improvements throughout our organisation, making our campus and community better for people and planet in a range of ways – read on for an overview of everything we’ve achieved together!

Image: An aerial shot of campus, featuring the Stephenson and Merz buildings in the foreground. Credit: Elemental Photography

Awards and accreditations

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a key priority for our university and so we were honoured to have contributed to the achievement of some exceptional scores in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. In the rankings, which are judged against the SDGs, Newcastle University placed top 25 in the world and 4^th in the UK – a submission which takes a huge effort from our team and colleagues across the University!

That’s not all, however. We also kept our ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 accreditations for our Environmental Management System and Energy Management System, respectively. These technical accreditations reflect the care we put into our high-quality processes for managing the environmental impact of the University’s operations and we’ve now held both accreditations for almost a decade running.

Finally, 10 more labs gained Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) accreditation last year (including 5 at gold level!), doubling the size of our community of environmentally certified labs! If you work in a lab and are interested in joining LEAF, check out the information on our website.

Projects

We began several big projects with our colleagues last year, starting with the next phase of the University’s campus-wide solar photovoltaics (PV) project. This two-year programme will install solar PV panels on 32 academic buildings and accommodation sites, adding to our already expansive renewables network and reducing expected CO₂e emissions by over 380 tonnes a year.

Additionally, we also began the installation of a biofuel combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Merz Court’s Energy Centre. This system uses greener biofuel to generate electricity while also harnessing waste heat to warm up our buildings – greatly reducing carbon emissions as compared to gas systems. These improvements will have a substantial impact as the Energy Centre provides district heating to a whole swathe of the campus, including the: Henry Daysh, Cassie, Stephenson, King Edward VII, Percy, and Old Library Buildings, plus, of course, Merz Court itself!

Image: An aerial shot of the Armstrong Building with the Old Quad, King’s Quad, and Student Forum visible. Credit: Elemental Photography

Engagement and events

Last year was a busy one for sustainability engagement too! Firstly, in January we launched our Sustainability Network to keep colleagues and students up to date on all things sustainability at our university. This community has now grown to 256 members and you can join them here. Additionally, speaking of mailing lists, our ongoing Furniture Reuse project hit 700 members!

Secondly, we’ve been working on this Sustainability blog throughout the year. We posted 30 blogs in all, offering updates, tips, and information on everything from wind power at the University to sustainable hacks around the house.

Finally, 2023 saw a whole range of events with environmentalism at their core, including:

Sustainability Week – five days of sessions covering green infrastructure, climate anxiety and more,
A Veganuary Bake sale to raise funds for biodiversity charities,
Spudfest – a festival offering free food and dedicated to highlighting innovative agricultural research,
Leave Newcastle Happy – our joint campaign with the City Council and Northumbria University to ensure that waste from the student move-out in summer is dealt with responsibly,
The Dr Bike project, launched last summer to support active commuting to campus. In eleven sessions the project has managed to rehome 50 second-hand bikes and helped over 200 people with advice, resources, and repairs!

The team

We’ve seen some exciting changes to the team this last year. Firstly, Melissa Stephenson, previously a Sustainability Officer, became the University’s new Waste Manager – a vital role in the University that she’s quickly got the hang of! Additionally, our team has grown to a total of ten sustainability professionals with the appointment of:

An Assistant Sustainability Officer – Charlotte Robson,
A Sustainability Communications Placement – Evan Bromage,
And two Sustainability Officers – Phoebe Sowerby and Jordan Heeley!

Thank you so much to everyone who got involved with sustainability last year, we couldn’t have done it without you! 2024 will bring fresh challenges and opportunities as we draw ever closer to our 2030 Net Zero target, so stay informed with this blog, the Sustainability Network, and our website and let’s make this year just as good as the last!