Staffordshire University has been running a sustainability challenge throughout March and April to encourage sustainable change.
The challenges tied into national sustainability days, ranging from World Water Day to Stop Food Waste Day. Each week, staff and students were challenged to make sustainable changes including recycling more, saving water and electricity, getting outside or reducing food waste.
The input of students and staff is key to driving forward our sustainability agenda and any small changes we can make as individuals or groups play an important role in making us a more sustainable University.
Staffordshire University has been running a sustainability challenge throughout March and April to encourage staff and students to make sustainable changes on campus.
The Staffs Sustainability Challenge has seen staff work with students on five challenges over five weeks, running from Monday 14 March 2022 to Sunday 1 May 2022.
The challenges tied into national sustainability days, ranging from World Water Day to Stop Food Waste Day. Each week, staff and students were challenged to make sustainable changes including recycling more, saving water and electricity, getting outside or reducing food waste.
For example, for World Water Day on Tuesday 22 March 2022, staff and students were encouraged to swap to using reusable water bottles and locate the water refill points on campus.
There have been challenge entries across different University departments, including Digital Services, Estates and Campus Services and the Communications team.
For Global Recycling Day on Friday 18 March 2022, Digital Communications Manager, Laura Allen, and the University’s Student Communications Ambassadors created a TikTok, encouraging everyone to wash and squash products to help recycle more on campus.
Helen Rutherford, Head of Campus Facilities Management at Staffordshire University, said: “The aim of the challenge was to encourage staff and students to be more sustainable through a collaborative approach to the weekly challenges.
“Staff were asked to share photos of them working with students on campus to promote small changes and to win a weekly sustainable prize. Each entry was also entered into an overall prize draw for three months free gym membership and a meal in one of the University’s restaurants, The Bistro.
“The input of students and staff is key to driving forward our sustainability agenda and any small changes we can make as individuals or groups play an important role in making us a more sustainable University.”