In the second quarter of 2023, the University continued to progress its sustainability agenda, achieving the following milestones across its campuses.
Students continue to donate unwanted items
The University encouraged students moving out of their term-time accommodation in June to donate any unwanted items such as clothes, household items or canned food. The ResLife team on the Stoke-on-Trent campus collected these items, which were then donated to the British Heart Foundation or Children’s Air Ambulance.
Alternatively, the University has a number of charity donation banks for the British Heart Foundation or Children’s Air Ambulance on its Stoke-on-Trent campus. These continue to be used throughout the year to donate clothing, accessories, paired shoes, handbags, linen, smaller electrical items (e.g. toasters and kettles) and textiles (e.g. curtains).
Staffordshire University partners with JCB Finance on net-zero ambitions
Staffordshire University Carbon Literacy trainers, Dr Paul Barratt and Dr Janet Wright, have recently completed a project working with JCB Finance at the Rocester headquarters.
Paul and Janet designed a bespoke Carbon Literacy course for the firm and trained up all their staff during 2022. They revisited JCB Finance earlier this year to deliver train-the-trainer sessions so that their staff could continue to deliver the course to new starters, and they could progress on their carbon literacy journey. JCB Finance shared more about gaining the accreditation.
Bronze accreditation award for Carbon Literacy training
In June, Dr Paul Barratt and Dr Janet Wright attended the Carbon Literacy Awards in Manchester to collect Staffordshire University’s Bronze Carbon Literate Organisation Award.
It was a double celebration for Paul and Janet who were joined by representatives from JCB Finance who they trained and guided through the Carbon Literate Organisation accreditation process.
Staffordshire University seek to embed climate change awareness into the curriculum
The Carbon Literacy team at Staffordshire University has been busy working with schools and course teams to embed climate change awareness into the curriculum.
Staff from Policing and Operating Department Practice have all undertaken Carbon Literacy training and are working with the Carbon Literacy Project to use and develop sector specific Carbon Literacy toolkits.
Too Good To Go wastes no time in reducing surplus food
In January, Staffordshire University signed up to ‘Too Good To Go’, the free app that allows customers to purchase unsold food at the end of the day to prevent it from being wasted.
Since signing up, Staffordshire University has saved more than 1,000 meals from going to waste across its Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford and London campuses. That’s around 2.51 tonnes of CO2e saved.
You can also find out more about what the catering team are doing as part of the University’s sustainability strategy here.
Dr Laura Rhodes talks net-zero toolkit and responding to the climate emergency
Dr Laura Rhodes, Sustainability Engineer at Staffordshire University, was recently involved in the University Design Forum Annual Conference at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
The theme of the conference was The Learning City which looked at the relationship between higher education institutions and the cities or towns in which they are located.
Dr Rhodes participated in a session covering the UDF Annual Research Group Report and a panel discussion on the Net-Zero Toolkit. The net-zero toolkit is being created to aid the procurement of the next generation of University buildings.
The panel discussion, made up of representatives from University sustainability teams, covered insights on the current need for a net-zero toolkit and the complexity of responding to the climate emergency.
Launch of Staffordshire University’s new sustainability web pages
The new sustainability section on Staffordshire University’s website launched at the end of June.
The new pages include the University’s targets, progress and updates in the Race to Zero (the target of reaching Net Zero by 2030 for Scopes 1 and 2 and 2050 for Scope 3), as well as the latest news and monthly sustainability matters blog. You can explore these in more depth here.
Nursery furniture donated to avoid waste
Second-hand furniture from Staffordshire University’s former nursery site on Station Road has been donated to local charity, Douglas Macmillan, who provide free hospice services to people with life-limiting illness in Stoke-on-Trent, North Staffordshire, and surrounding areas.
Following the closure of the original nursery site, any items that were not reused in the University’s new Woodlands Day Nursery, including highchairs, cots, wooden kitchens and toys, as well as some office furniture, have been donated to Dougie Mac. The future sales of these items will help secure much needed funds for the hospice.
The University always prioritises reusing furniture within the University and when that isn’t possible, items are donated to charity.
Academic partnership secured with KMF Precision Sheet Metal Fabrication
Staffordshire University has entered into an academic partnership with manufacturers KMF Precision Sheet Metal Fabrication.
Academic staff, Dr Paul Barratt and Dr Janet Wright, are providing academic support to KMFs newly appointed Sustainability Officer, and Staffordshire University graduate, Emily-May Norton de Matos.
Emily will be working to help KMF map and report its environmental data in an increasingly sustainability-minded marketplace. Emily is employed through Unitemps and is already looking at ways that the firm can maximise efficiencies to improve environmental performance and reduce costs.
Staffordshire University partners with Lichfield Cathedral
Staffordshire University is working in partnership with Lichfield Cathedral to work towards the Church of England’s ambitious net-zero target.
An initial fact-finding visit has taken place, where academic and enterprise staff met the team at Lichfield Cathedral and had a tour of the cathedral itself and its wider estate.
This marks the starting point of a joint project between Staffordshire University and Lichfield Cathedral to support their carbon net-zero ambitions.
Simon Warburton, Executive Director, Lichfield Cathedral said: “Cathedrals across the country are scratching their heads trying to understand what net-zero means to them, how this might be achieved, and who might be able to help.
“Thanks to the work of my colleagues who have been working with partners at Midlands Net Zero hub and now Staffordshire University, the Cathedral is edging closer to an innovative knowledge transfer partnership. This would be the first of its kind in the cathedral sector and an interesting pilot for other cathedrals.”
Staffordshire University celebrates Bike Week 100
The 100th annual Bike Week took place on Monday 5 June 2023 to Sunday 11 June 2023, marking 100 years of celebrating everyday cycling for everyone.
To mark the occasion, Staffordshire University challenged staff to post pictures from their cycle commutes on the Staff App or Twitter during the week. Whether they cycled all or part of their commutes, colleagues were rewarded with a catering voucher and a UK Cycling Bike Week Certificate.