What you can do to be more sustainable
Here's some things you can do to live more sustainably.
From giving a little extra consideration to how you dispose of your waste, do your shopping or get around campus, to getting more involved and joining societies or initiatives across campus and the local area, every step you take towards being more sustainable is a positive one.
Back for 2023/24 - Student Switch Off is a campaign to support and encourage students to live sustainability, with a specific focus on saving energy and water, as well as recycling and reducing waste. Find out more about how you can get involved, take action and contribute towards sustainability as a student.
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1. Reduce, reuse, recycle
- Purchase a YORCUP on campus to help reduce the number of single-use coffee cups sent to landfill
- Use our green coffee cup shaped recycling bins to dispose of your single-use coffee cups instead of putting them in general waste
- Use to give items second life
- Bin the bin and recycle more waste
- Check out our A-Z waste guide for the best ways to reuse, recycle and dispose of unwanted items
- Read as an alternative to printing
2. Travel more sustainably
- Live or work at Uni? Use the cycle pool to borrow bikes
- Pick up a subsidised staff or student bus pass
- Save up to 42% on purchasing a bike with our Cycletowork staff salary exchange scheme
- Join our car club scheme to access reduced price parking and vehicles for occasional use
3. Shop more sustainably
There are many ways you can implement sustainable measures into your shopping routine; from bringing your own bags, to buying local or sustainably labelled products and purchasing items made from recycled materials, or reused goods from second hand stores.
- Scoop is a providing organic, exploitation-free and local produce at affordable prices
- is a Facebook page that allows members to post unwanted items that can be swapped/sold to other students.
- Look out for our new scheme aimed at reducing food waste and saving you money
- Staff members on Slack can join our #recycle-chat and #recycle-for-sale-or-wanted groups
4. Embrace Sustainability week
- Sustainability Week (formerly One Planet Week), runs once every year to enhance networking and exchange of ideas, engage students and staff with research, promote environmental action, raise awareness, and celebrate amongst our community.
- Running from Monday 4 March to Friday 8 March 2024, you're invited to join us for a dedicated week of activities and events to raise awareness about environmental and social issues
5. Reduce your carbon footprint while working from home
- Reduce sending excessive emails and large attachments
- Change your search engine to help plant trees
- Switch off your work appliances after use
- Install a SMART meter
- Unplug your electronics
- Switch to a sustainable energy provider
6. Join the Green Impact Scheme
Green Impact is an environmental accreditation programme that recognises and rewards staff members鈥� sustainable actions at work.
- Students can get involved by working as a Green Impact Auditor and receive approved training. You'll visit participating departments and review the actions they have implemented.
- We also have roles available as Green Impact Project Assistants, where can you take part in a day-long training course and then work with a staff Green Impact team over the course of the year.
7. Get carbon literate
Get Carbon literate with our free training courses on Carbon Literacy open to both staff and students.
Training is in the form of 2 morning workshops plus some self-led learning using materials provided in advance of the course.
On completion of a final individual action plan you will receive Carbon Literacy accreditation from the Carbon Literacy Project. and you will be sent more details of when the courses are running.
8. Do some citizen science
Interested in wildlife? Why not do your bit for citizen science and record your campus wildlife sightings? Be it ducks or ladybirds, plants or lichens, we want to know!
Not only will it help with wildlife conservation on campus, but it could also be used in local and national conservation research and policy-making! Submit your records at .
9. Join a group or volunteer for charity
- Join one of our green student societies
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The University Community Fund offers 拢500 - 拢5,000 for students or staff to develop their own volunteering projects
- You can help with by volunteering with Your Cafe and reduce waste by turning food surplus into meals served at their community cafe
- work takes them to a number of beautiful locations dotted around the North 甜瓜视频appshire countryside
- is a great way to meet new friends, learn new skills and gain experience in a competitive sector
- relies on volunteers to run. Opportunities range from office work to practical conservation
10. Join the Community of Teaching and Learning Practice
甜瓜视频app staff with teaching responsibilities are welcome to join the Environmental Sustainability at 甜瓜视频app (ESAY) Community of Teaching and Learning Practice. The group exists to bring different perspectives and ideas for defining the way forward for environmental sustainability education at 甜瓜视频app. For more information or to express an interest, contact esay@york.ac.uk.
Sustainability Conversations seminar series 2023
Sustainability Education Conversations is a seminar series organised by the Community of Learning and Teaching Practice in collaboration with the Department for Environment and Geography and the 甜瓜视频app Science Education Group. Each seminar takes place online, with invited experts speaking for 20 minutes followed by discussion space for attendees. The seminar series will take place throughout Semester 1 in 2023, starting on 11 October.