Are you about to embark on your next step in your educational career? Or are you continuing your current path and want to be a little bit more sustainable? Well, this is the right blog post for you!
It’s very easy during freshers’ week to fall into the trap of collecting a load of freebies (I mean, who doesn’t love freebies?!), which, mainly, end up accumulating, later to be left redundant. This isn’t only a waste of space but is also very unsustainable. Here are seven things you can do – and things you can bring to the new academic year – to be more sustainable during freshers’ week and throughout the year.
- Don’t pick up tonnes and tonnes of leaflets: flyers are not short of supply during freshers’ week but, as tempting as it can be, don’t pick them all up! These are likely to end up in your bin around week 4. Before you go, have a look at the stalls that have been announced to be at freshers’ fair and make a note of them on your phone, so you know what to prioritise. All of the YUSU Sports and Societies will have YUSU webpages and social media – so use those instead of the leaflets! (Remember) If you sign up for a mailing list – make sure that it is electronic and not paper!
- Join a green society: the University has over 200 societies to join, including some with a sustainable impact. Have a look at Edible Uni, Scoop, EnviroSoc and VegSoc.
- Participate in Green Impact or Student Switch off: both of these initiatives are run by the University in collaboration with NUS every year to try and make our campus more sustainable. We are currently looking for new GIPAs, Auditors and Student Switch Off Ambassadors. There are lots of ways within these programmes to make York a greener and more sustainable uni! Have a look at the Get Involved webpages for more info.
- York Uni Swap Shop: Need a new chair? Want some vintage clothes? Why not have a look at the York Uni Swap Shop – it’s a great way to recycle and give new leases of life to clothing and furniture AND it saves you a penny or two!
- Bring the reusables: I’m talking reusable coffee cups, reusable water bottles, reusable cutlery, reusable lunch box and reusable straws. If accessible and applicable to you, one, a mixture or all of these ideas are a great way to reduce the amount of plastic and waste you consume. If you bring your own reusable cup to any campus outlet – you get 20p off your drink. Have a look at YORCUP if you are in the market for a reusable cup.
Did you know…
2.5 billion coffee cups are used and thrown away each year in the UK – but less than 1 in 400 – just 0.25% – are recycled.
- Transport: if you are going to explore York for the first time, why not walk or cycle in, if you are able to! Or get the 66 bus, which is £1 per ride with a Yorkey card (if you are a student/staff).
- Bring a bag for life: lots of museums, shops and retailers are now selling cotton bags or reusable bags. Why not keep one in your uni bag in case you need to stock up on food and save yourself the 5p plastic bag charge. If you don’t have one – don’t fret! Cotton bags for life are given out by both the University and YUSU in freshers’ week.
I wish you all the best of luck at University!
Written by: Kaity Eames
Websites used:
UoY Sustainability 