Environment & Sustainability

Sustainability is relevant to every student at UCLan; as well as individual rewards such as saving money and keeping fit you can also be part of our efforts to be a green University.

As a graduate; an awareness of sustainability will help you to progress in your chosen career as well as help create a more sustainable society.

Get involved with the green projects here at UCLan and gain transferable skills to boost your employability.

Simple Actions To Take

Always Recycle - there are general waste and recycling facilities on campus for plastic bottles, cans (and tins), cardboard, batteries, paper

Buy a UCLan Keep Cup - purchase a re-usable cup from coffee outlets and save 10p each time you use it

Sort Out & Donate - British Heart Foundation banks are available at halls of residences and accept clothing, books, accessories etc

Collect Free Stationery - there a few stationery stands across campus supplying second hand, good quality files, box files etc

Use the Stairs - instead of the lift and give yourself some exercise

Use a Re-Usable Bottle - save yourself some money and use a refillable bottle, water fountains available across campus

Use a Re-Usable Bag - remember to take a re-usable bag with you when shopping

Get your Bike fixed for Free - Bike Works come to campus regularly and provide a free maintenance service, see Travel pages

Environmental Management System

The University’s Strategy 2015-2020 aims to achieve a:

‘Transformational change of the Preston campus to provide an enhanced learning environment for the highest quality teaching, learning, research and knowledge exchange underpinned by a commitment to environmental sustainability’

In order to meet this Strategic aim the University has implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS) which achieved the internationally recognised ISO14001 certification in October 2010, re-certification in October 2013 and in October 2016 we successfully transitioned to the new standard ISO14001:2015. The Environmental Management System helps us manage and mitigate our environmental impacts, the most significant being those from travel, waste, land development and buildings, use of natural resources, procurement and our use of substances which can cause environmental pollution. These significant aspects, as they are known, are controlled through a range of operational procedures, records and guidance documents.

Waste & Recycling

Waste minimisation and recycling are important sustainability issues aimed at maximising resource efficiency and reducing carbon emissions arising from landfill. UCLan has a dedicated Recycling Team which has enabled us to meet and exceed recycling rates year on year. Keep on Recycling! Please continue to separate your waste using the local recycling facilities on campus for plastic bottles, paper, card, cans and glass. Recycling bins are located across campus and outside all our halls of residences.

Sustainable Travel

There are numerous benefits associated with travelling more sustainably; health and well-being, financial, environmental and social benefits. For more information on the support given to students to encourage cycling, walking, car-sharing, rail and bus travel go to the Travel pages on the Student Portal.

UCLan has a Travel Plan which details the travel demands of the University, our achievements to date and sets targets to reduce the environmental impact of travel by 2017/18.

Pollution Prevention

The University takes pollution prevention very seriously; the controls and staff training we have put in place are managed via our ISO14001 certified Environmental Management System. Key staff members throughout the campus have been trained to use spillage containment kits. If you spot an incident or potential incident, please report it to Security on extension 2068. In general never pour anything other than water down the drain whether inside or outside a building.

Sustainable Buildings

The University has been cutting carbon emissions on our estate and reducing running costs by constructing energy efficient buildings. All our new building and construction work reaches the standards set by BREEAM Education Excellent and full building refurbishments meet BREEAM Very Good. For all smaller and part building refurbishments we adopt sustainability principles. For example, energy efficient LED lighting and movement and day-light sensors as well as dual flush toilets and sensor taps in washrooms are now standard fittings. Opportunities for encouraging sustainable travel, waste segregation as well as for enhancing biodiversity are all factored into building design.

Ethical Procurement

UCLan has been a Fair Trade University since 2008, this means that the University and the SU stock a wide range of Fair Trade products for sale in our catering and retail outlets across campus. It also means that all the tea, coffee and sugar sold via our conferencing team are Fairly Traded. Each year during February the University and the SU actively promote Fair Trade Fortnight with fun activities to highlight serious issues. In addition the University is constantly reviewing and improving its procurement of products and services to reduce the impact on the environment, often altering contracts and working directly with suppliers to improve performance in our supply chain. During 2013 the University’s Catering Service achieved the Good Egg Award in recognition of their commitment to only use free range eggs and egg products, in the UK around 35 million laying hens are kept for egg production. Over 50% of these hens are kept in cages.

Natural Resources

UCLan has invested heavily on campus to cut our carbon emissions associated with the use of natural resources including electricity, gas and water. We have installed photovoltaic arrays at 53 Degrees, our Students’ Union venue and at the Media Factory and have solar trackers which track the sun outside Allen building giving us a supply of green energy. We also have solar thermal on Adelphi building which use the sun to heat up water and our JBFirth building has a rain water harvesting system with the water collected used to flush toilets. In 2015 we installed our first ever Biomass boiler at Greenbank, using sustainably sourced wood pellets to heat the building.

Find out more about the energy efficiency improvements and technologies that the University has introduced by following our Energy Trail.

Research Students - Environmental Responsibilities

Research students working in higher risk areas for example laboratories, workshops, studios or those working with specialist equipment need to be familiar with, and adhere to the operational requirements, contained within our Environmental Management System to reduce the environmental impact of research.

Note: The University does not hold a trade effluent consent which means that ONLY WATER, should be disposed of to drain, both inside and outside a building.

Environmental Incident Reporting

It is important that environmental incidents and near-misses are reported to Estates Services - Safety, Health and Environment Section so that they can be investigated and prevent a more serious incident occurring.

More information on pollution prevention can be found within the Environmental Management System's Pollution Prevention Operational Procedures (ENV019)

Pollution incidents to water, air or land need to be reported using the form:

Environmental Incidents/Near Misses/Non-Compliance (ENVREC040)

Waste Disposal

If you produce waste in bulk or waste that is classified as hazardous the following internal waste transfer notes need to be completed before the waste will be accepted;

Hazardous Waste Transfer Note (ENVREC28a)

Non-Hazardous Waste Transfer Note(for disposal of bulk non-hazardous waste) (ENVREC28d)

For more information on waste management or to dispose of other wastes, for example clinical or waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) please see the Environmental Management System's Waste Management Operational Procedures (ENV016)

Environment and Sustainability

Student Support