University of Roehampton enabling strategy

Use of Single use Plastics has been eliminated where possible, with the exception of cling film and big bags required for food hygiene. All bottled drinks sold on campus, including Coca Cola and water are made from recyclable material and are disposed of in the University recycle bins.

The University runs fully paperless committees and has substantially cut down paper use across the wider university.

• Student usage of paper for printing has dropped by 82% since 2019
• Staff usage has dropped by 84% in the same 5-year period

The University has achieved this significant reduction through a change of mindset as initiated by the enabling strategy target and also the investment in technology such as shared drives and other programmes and platforms.

Please see this table for more details.

Food sustainability is a major consideration to the University:

• Eggs used by the catering team are free range
• Meat is British Red Tractor certified
• Fish is MSC Certified
• Coffee and tea across the campus is Fairtrade

Furthermore, all waste oil is collected and turned into fuel.

The University is part of the 'Too Good To Go' food waste initiative, which allows staff and students to access unsold food helping to reduce waste.

The catering provision at the University is provided by Elior UK, who are committed to the assessment of plastic use on campus, seeking environmentally friendly alternatives where available and practical as stated in their Plastics Policy.

Elior UK Purchasing Policy and Corporate Social Responsibility Policy also outlines their commitment to sustainable procurement charter as well as the use of sustainable products and ingredients.

The University provides Roehampton Students’ Union a block grant annually for the delivery of services related to the Union’s charitable, strategic objectives, and partnership with the institution. As part of this funding, an amount of restricted funds detailed in the RSU annual audited accounts is ring-fenced for the delivery of the Growhampton Project, which is a student-led, environmental sustainability project focused on food production through urban farming methods, conservation of designated campus spaces, and supporting biodiversity.

In the past two years, Growhampton has worked with 200 volunteers who have led over 1,500 hours of activity leading to the production of over 1,000kg of campus grown produce that is sold to students, local residents and used within the menu of the Hive Café.

Growhampton Participation and Production 2020/21 v 2021/22

The University as a proven track record in the delivery of initiatives which seek to improve biodiversity. Our Biodiversity pages provide information on a past action plan and the new work to revise and update this plan starting with the assessment of current baseline biodiversity data.

The University has consistently championed sustainable travel to campus, encouraging students and staff to cycle to campus, Lime e-bike access on campus, and the installation of 100 covered cycle storage spaces alongside the use of the free University shuttle bus service.

The University has now restricted all international travel unless it is for essential reasons (student recruitment, student outcomes or the delivery of one of the enabling strategies). Where travel is supported, the expectation is that the most sustainable option will be chosen first. With regards to student travel, the University sustainability and global mission is reliant on the ability to recruit students from international markets. However, we are promiting the campaign 'One Flight Less' with all parts of the Roehampton community.

The University has implemented an ambitious carbon management plan resulting in the significant reduction of carbon emissions including building development, reduction in energy usage and better use of space. More details can be found on the Carbon Management page.

The University has the following recycling facilities in place:

• Recycling bins are available across the University including in student accommodation kitchens, staff kitchenettes, public spaces, and external areas. For the disposal of paper, cardboard and plastic.
• All catering outlets food waste is now disposed via an onsite Food Biodigester. The end product is passed to Growhampton for use on their allotments.
• Confidential waste (paper) disposal is available via the University Security team. All departments can request confidential waste collection through the ServiceDesk.
• Waste Electrical and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) or white goods/IT equipment is disposed by Stone Group. Staff and students can request their collection for disposal through the ServiceDesk.
• Battery Recycling boxes are provided at campus Nest locations. They are available to anyone to dispose of household batteries.
• Laundry detergent packaging can be disposed of through recycling bins available in all internal student launderette facilities.