Tag Archives: sustainable

Summary of Sustainability Week

First, we would like to say thank you to everyone who joined us at our events over the week and to those who hosted us for talks and tours. Our aim for Sustainability Week was to engage and inspire our university community about the various elements of sustainability and climate action that Newcastle University takes. Our sustainability week also coincided with multiple other themed weeks such as Food Waste Action Week, Fairtrade Fortnight and Sustainable Development Goal Week so you can find some excellent resources relating to these themes over on our Twitter

Meet the Sustainability team in Phillip Robinson Library 

We had a stand in the library on Monday to answer any questions that staff and students had about sustainability and to discuss what climate action Newcastle University is taking. We asked the question “what year is our target to be Net-Zero on carbon emissions by?” to staff and students that walked in through the entrance and most responses were correct in selecting 2030. If you attend any staff or student welcome events in the future you will find some members of the sustainability team at our stall there so you can pop by and ask us some more questions, or you can email us at sustainable-campus@newcastle.ac.uk

Tour of the National Green Infrastructure Facility  

We had a great time meeting Dr Ross Stirling at the National Green Infrastructure Facility over at the Urban Science Building on the helix site for a tour. Those who joined us had a guided tour of the experiments being conducted outside in the living laboratory and were taught about Sustainable Drainage Systems and various elements of green infrastructure. The swale outside is around 130m long and enables research and demonstrations of leaky barriers, there is also a small wetland for additional research purposes.  

An image of one of the SuDS outside the Urban Sciences Building 

Climate Connections – A Climate Anxiety Workshop 

This was a great workshop by Venture Zero where we learnt about managing climate anxiety. First, we discussed what mental health and anxiety are and how it is normal to feel worried about an uncertain future. Following this, we spoke about the climate crisis and how this will impact out future. We then were told that taking action is the best way to combat these feelings of anxiety and created a ‘ta da’ list of all the positive actions we are taking to be more sustainable. This workshop was very interesting and left all its participants feeling much more hopeful! 

Our ‘Ta Da’ list of actions we are taking to be more sustainable 

Sustainability Festival 

We held a Sustainability Festival on Friday where we invited staff and students to meet some local eco-friendly companies, environmental charities, and the universities waste contractors. The stalls provided engaging information about their work in Newcastle, we also had a presentation to highlight the submissions we received for our photo competition and played the David Attenborough documentary Blue Planet. Some highlights include: 

  • The Natural History Society of Northumbria joined us to discuss their research on bees and orchids in Northumberland. 
  • ResLife (our student accommodation support team) had a stand at the festival to address how we can recycle everyday items effectively but putting them into the correct bin, they made this into a fun game. 
  • NUSU Give It A Go joined us and taught us how to make tealight holders from used jam jars that were clean with their labels removed.   
  • Nil Living are a company local to the University (based in Grainger market) who are a zero waste and refill shop that aim to help people use eco-friendly products in their homes/everyday life and shop mindfully.  

Thank you again to all those who joined us at our events or stopped by for a sustainable themed chat! 

Tips and tricks to introduce sustainability to your Christmas

Christmas is a time when a large amount of consumption, and often over-consumption, takes place. 

This post is an introduction to some ideas and tips that could help to reduce the negative impacts that holidays, such as Christmas, can create on the environment. 

We would like to think that these ideas are creative and fun, that you can involve friends and family, and if you are a parent, why not turn these into activities that you can do with your kids together? 

Gift ideas: 

Are you struggling to choose gifts for people which aren’t generic gifts that you aren’t even sure they would like? Here are some alternative options that will provide memories or meaning to the people you are giving them too.  

  • Gift an experience such as:  ziplining, an art workshop, or drink tasting. 
  • Adopt an endangered animal for your friend or loved one that they can receive updates about. 
  • Shop locally with independent businesses for more original gifts such as personalised posters or bookmarks 
  • You could make your own presents by baking, sewing, painting, performing etc. 
  • Donate to a charity on their behalf, choose something they are passionate about   
Why not make a gingerbread house as a gift?

Christmas practices and traditions: 

Here are some swaps we can make on Christmas Day, and in the run up, that will help to reduce waste. 

  • If you would like an advent calendar, why not invest in a reusable calendar that you add treats to, instead of buying a plastic one from the supermarket. 
  • By skipping the Christmas crackers at lunch, or making your own, with paper (or other recyclable materials) , and with useful eco-friendly gifts inside, we can cut down on plastic that has little use.  
  • Reuse the clothes in your wardrobe:  Try to avoid buying a new outfit for Christmas if you can. Instead have fun shopping your own, your family or friends’ wardrobes (with their permission, of course).  
  • If you would like a Christmas jumper, instead of buying a brand new one, you could knit one or check out some local charity shops. 

“two out of five Christmas jumpers only being worn once over the festive period” 

HuBBUB

Decorations and present wrapping:  

While decorations can last for many years, they can get broken, or you may be tempted to buy new ones. Here are some tips for decorations and wrapping that you can use this Christmas and in future years. 

  • Think about your Christmas tree lights: If you need to buy new ones, make sure to recycle your broken ones at a recycling facility. Also, when buying new ones, opt for LED as they use less energy.  
  • Why not send e-cards instead of paper cards. They can be personalised with family pictures for an extra special touch.  
  • Keep a bag of ribbons, gift bags and labels from other occasions that could be re-used for the next Christmas or birthdays in the future. 
  • Don’t throw away a plastic tree that you already own. They can be re-used for many years, and this will help to reduce plastic waste and save you some money. 
  • Use natural decorations such as pressed dried flowers and brown paper, instead of wrapping paper that cannot be recycled, to give presents a festive touch. 
  • We can also use fabric for wrapping by tying knots in fabrics such as vintage scarfs, which are re-used.  

Food practices and food waste:  

Food is a large contributor to waste, which is heightened around Christmas, however by adjusting our buying practices we can cut down on some of it. It is also worth noting that by adjusting what we consume we can reduce our carbon footprint. 

  • We can incorporate more plant-based and vegetarian meals into our holiday schedules. 
  • When buying ingredients for your Christmas meals, why not try shopping at markets for loose vegetables, nuts and dried fruits using a reusable bag, instead of pre-packaged vegetables from a supermarket? 
  • Try not to over buy, think about what you are able to consume based on who will be attending your meals and plan around this to reduce food waste. 
  • If you grow your own vegetables, use as many of these as possible for you Christmas meals instead of buying produce that may have been imported. 
  • Utilise your freezer: Freeze food that was leftover or due to go off, it makes great January lunches at work. 

Recipes that use leftover Christmas food to reduce food waste: 

Here are some recipes we found online that focus on reusing various ingredients that you may have left over from a Christmas meal, but can reuse in the days after Christmas.  

Thank you very much for reading our blog this year, we hope you have a wonderful festive break and we look forward to writing more posts for you in the new year! 

Best wishes, 

The Sustainability Team 

Small sustainable swaps for your bathroom

Whilst some of these products may have properties that are more sustainable than other products that we are likely to use, the most sustainable option is to use what you have currently have if it is in a good condition or you have plenty of it. However, should you run out of some bathroom essentials then you should check out the post below for some eco-conscious swaps if you would like to try something new.

Hair care 

  • Why not try out solid shampoo and conditioning bars instead of instead of liquid in a plastic bottle? We recommend Ethique, Lush or Gruum. You could also try out products from the Body Shop, who offer a refill service where you buy a metal bottle and pump and take it into their shops with a refill station when you need products such as shampoo or conditioner. Our Body Shop in Eldon Square is one of these!
  • An additional swap would involve swapping single-use plastic razors for a razor that you can change the head or blades on instead of buying a new handle. You could also get a recycle bag from Gillette to post all your old blades and heads in for them to be recycled.   

Deodorant

You could swap out your single-use deodorant for a case and refill deodorant system, such as the one provided by Wild. We have been using Wild for two years and really love the product. You can order the refills online and change scents every time (look out for their incredible seasonal limited editions) and they arrive through the post-box in recyclable and biodegradable packing.  Or, you can head to Boots in Eldon Square and pick up the product in-store, the only disadvantage here is that they have less scents to choose from!

Menstrual products  

Many menstrual products such as mainstream pads can contain up to 90% of plastic (Action Aid) so there is a need for moving towards more sustainable alternatives. There are a wide range of sustainable alternatives available, we have listed some below:  

  • Menstrual cups (Mooncup or TOTM
  • Menstrual underwear by brands such as WUKA and Thinx
  • Re-usable pads (Wear ‘Em Out or Bloom and Nora available in Holland and Barrett)  
  • Alternatively, you could try non-reusable products that are made from cotton instead of plastic (TOTM

As most of these products are all reusable you can save money overall as you no longer need to buy the products you need every month. However, they do require a larger cost upfront.  

Makeup removal

People often use makeup wipes to remove their makeup. Whilst these are more commonly biodegradable now, not all are, as they may still contain some plastic and they are also not reusable. We have listed an alternative method below.   

  • Switch to make up remover in a bar form (the Superstar bar by Ethique is recommended) instead of makeup removing wipes.  
  • You can also use washable cotton rounds to cleanse and remove makeup or a flannel, both of which can go in the wash and be used repeatedly.  

Toothbrushes and toothpaste

Finally, when it comes to a toothbrush there are a few options you can choose from.  

  • The first is investing in an electric toothbrush where you swap out the heads instead of the entire toothbrush. 
  • The second option is to buy a bamboo toothbrush, which reduces your use of plastic.
  • Toothpaste tubes are non-recyclable, but there are some other options available. The first is toothpaste tablets that you can chew and come in a glass container. The second is a paste-like product that also comes in a glass jar instead of a plastic tube. Both these products are available at refill shops around Newcastle like Replenish by the Bay.

Sustainable events in November:

  • We are hosting an energy bills workshop which will focus on budgeting and managing bills with The Green Doctor on the 30th of November. If you are a student who is under 25 and curious or worried about energy bills you can join us to learn some tips and tools to help you and your household.

Sign up: https://forms.microsoft.com/r/fPa42feyQv

  • There is also a festive pop-up market taking place on the 24th of November in the Boiler House which will feature ethical and sustainable businesses.

Keep an eye out for a follow up blog on alternative swaps for your kitchen!