Environment & Sustainability

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 reusable bottle - save yourself some money and use a refillable bottle, water fountains available across campus
• Use a reusable bag - remember to take a reusable 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

Energy & Water

Spotted Energy or Water wastage on campus?
Report it using our on-line Carbon Reporting Tool

ISO14001

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.

The University Travel Plan details the travel demands of its students, staff and visitors; includes our achievements to date and sets targets to reduce the environmental impact of travel.

For information on support given to students to encourage cycling, walking, car-sharing, rail and bus travel go to the Travel pages Here you can also create your own personalised travel plan!

Pollution Prevention

The University takes pollution prevention very seriously and the controls and staff training we have put in place are managed via our ISO14001 certified Integrated Health, Safety and 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 x2068. 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. Initiatives include: the provision of compostable consumables for graduation and switching to a filtered water system in order to provide still and sparkling water for events in reusable stop-top bottles cutting out the need for bottled water, to name but a few.

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 Integrated Safety, Health and 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