As a Student Leader, you have a responsibility to run any activities and events in the most environmentally friendly way possible.
As a Student Leader, it is important for you to maintain a high level of environmental sustainability. We all have a part to play in keeping our local environment healthy, and as a Student Leader, you can do your bit! This means keeping levels of waste and emissions low, and here we offer some guidance on how to achieve this.
As a Student Leader, you may make a variety of purchases for an activity, event or perhaps for your student group. Where we shop has an impact on our carbon footprint. Here are some key do's and don'ts:
AVOID
- Amazon: This global giant falls short in several key areas - it has a poor workers' rights record, a high environmental impact, and engages in tax avoidance. You can read up on Amazon here.
- Temu: There are big concerns over where these items are produced and shipped from, and are accused of greenwashing. Try to avoid!
- Fast fashion sites (e.g. Shein & Pretty Little Thing): Fast fashion is thought to be responsible for around 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions. You can now find most items from these sites secondhand on platforms like Vinted.
PLEASE USE
- eBay: Buying secondhand can be a brilliant way to reduce your carbon footprint! It's great for board games, decorations and props.
- Charity Shops & Vinted: Great for societies needing to purchase costumes, often much cheaper than fast fashion brands like Shein & Pretty Little Thing.
Snacks are a big part of student life, and what we eat matters! Foods all have different carbon footprints depending on where they are grown and what they are made of. To reduce your food footprint, consider:
- Meat: Reducing meat and fish consumption (meat, fish, and dairy items usually have higher carbon footprints than vegan foods.)
- Packaging: Try to purchase foods that are not excessively packaged in plastic or other materials. If you have a level 2 food certificate, you can serve foods that are not individually packaged. Aim to do so where possible! Talk to us about obtaining your level 2 food certificate.
- Waste: Avoid ordering or buying more food than needed. Ensure that all packaging is recycled in the appropriate bins. You can find guidance on recycling here!
Reuse: Do you have items from previous years that can be used again? If you're organising a games night, consider the games you or your society already owns — you can also borrow games from us here! If you're in a performance society, can you repurpose last year's costumes?
Recycle: Ensure you dispose of items used at events appropriately. You can find recycling guidance here. If it's an item you or your society won't be using again, talk to us about donating the items.
Where you can, it's always better to buy less!
We would LOVE to see Student Leaders run sustainability events. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Movie night: Think David Attenborough, My Octopus Teacher, Cowspiracy… the list goes on!
- Thrifting, fixing clothes & second-hand fashion shows
- Book swap: Perfect for academic societies, keep those textbooks in circulation!
- Guest speaker talks: Invite an expert in the field to share their knowledge with you, but remember to submit the Guest Speaker Request form 4 weeks before the event!
- Vegan food night
This list is not exhaustive, so please go ahead and get creative with it!