Hertford College
Website: www.hertford.ox.ac.uk www.hertfordjcr.org
Bio: It’s an exciting time for E&E at Hertford, with many new ideas and projects happening in Trinity 2018, as well as the continuation and expansion of our existing environmental policies.
Do you participate in Green Impact and received any awards as a result of this? Hertford JCR has recently started a team for Green Impact and will receive a ‘Working Towards’ award for 2017/18.
Where did you place in Veggie Pledge 2017? 10th
What is our proudest environmental policy? Fossil fuel divestment is very important for reducing greenhouse gas emissions at a global scale, and the more colleges, universities and initiations that get involved, the greater the impact and the more pressure there is for other such groups to do the same.
What was your rating in Student Switch Off 2017-18? Bronze
What advice would you give to other environment reps in the uni? Continuing the work of your previous E&E rep and doing what you can to promote E&E at your college is very important and can really make a difference. That said, don’t be afraid of a big project; you’ll be surprised how easy it is to change things. Likewise, stand up to the people running the college and ensure your voice is heard on important issues- the college/PPH belongs to us and not to them.
Bio: It’s an exciting time for E&E at Hertford, with many new ideas and projects happening in Trinity 2018, as well as the continuation and expansion of our existing environmental policies.
- Fossil Fuel Divestment
- Repurpose Food Wastage
- Recycling Info & Eco Mindfulness Pack for Freshers
- Hertford Keep Cups
- Promoting Green Trashing
Do you participate in Green Impact and received any awards as a result of this? Hertford JCR has recently started a team for Green Impact and will receive a ‘Working Towards’ award for 2017/18.
Where did you place in Veggie Pledge 2017? 10th
What is our proudest environmental policy? Fossil fuel divestment is very important for reducing greenhouse gas emissions at a global scale, and the more colleges, universities and initiations that get involved, the greater the impact and the more pressure there is for other such groups to do the same.
What was your rating in Student Switch Off 2017-18? Bronze
What advice would you give to other environment reps in the uni? Continuing the work of your previous E&E rep and doing what you can to promote E&E at your college is very important and can really make a difference. That said, don’t be afraid of a big project; you’ll be surprised how easy it is to change things. Likewise, stand up to the people running the college and ensure your voice is heard on important issues- the college/PPH belongs to us and not to them.
St Anne's College
Website: http://st-annes-jcr.org
Bio: As one of the largest undergrad colleges, St Anne’s have been working on reducing our waste, most specifically food. As of this year we are proud to say all food waste from the dining hall is recycled as brown waste (it was previously landfill!). We are working to slowly wipe out all non-recyclable waste in our dining hall, for example replacing condiment sachets with dispensers and small milk cartons with a jug. We are in the process of developing a food caddie initiative, which will allow students to recycle food waste from their kitchen, again reducing our contribution to landfill. We are also pushing to reduce the amount of meat served in hall, with 1/3rd of meals being vegetarian 4 days a week and 2/3rds on a Tuesday.
Thanks to a crowdfunding campaign by a student last year, we have a large compost bin on site which the maintenance team are using for green waste. The compost from the bin will be used for growing vegetables by the St Anne’s nursery in planters.
Being slightly less central than other college, we are very proud of our popular bike scheme. By many people sharing a few bikes, we aim to reduce the number of students buying bikes when they arrive at St Anne’s, and reduce the traffic on the road due to taxis.
Next term we are trying to pass a motion in our JCR to introduce a 5p charge on plastic straws in the college bar.
St Anne’s is constantly working to be an environmentally sustainable college.
Do you participate in Green Impact and received any awards as a result of this? !!!!!!!!!!!!
Where did you place in Veggie Pledge 2017? 32nd
What is your proudest environmental policy? Food compost bins available in student kitchens next year.
What was your rating in Student Switch Off 2017-18? Bronze
What advice would you give to other environment reps in the uni? !!!!!
Bio: As one of the largest undergrad colleges, St Anne’s have been working on reducing our waste, most specifically food. As of this year we are proud to say all food waste from the dining hall is recycled as brown waste (it was previously landfill!). We are working to slowly wipe out all non-recyclable waste in our dining hall, for example replacing condiment sachets with dispensers and small milk cartons with a jug. We are in the process of developing a food caddie initiative, which will allow students to recycle food waste from their kitchen, again reducing our contribution to landfill. We are also pushing to reduce the amount of meat served in hall, with 1/3rd of meals being vegetarian 4 days a week and 2/3rds on a Tuesday.
Thanks to a crowdfunding campaign by a student last year, we have a large compost bin on site which the maintenance team are using for green waste. The compost from the bin will be used for growing vegetables by the St Anne’s nursery in planters.
Being slightly less central than other college, we are very proud of our popular bike scheme. By many people sharing a few bikes, we aim to reduce the number of students buying bikes when they arrive at St Anne’s, and reduce the traffic on the road due to taxis.
Next term we are trying to pass a motion in our JCR to introduce a 5p charge on plastic straws in the college bar.
St Anne’s is constantly working to be an environmentally sustainable college.
Do you participate in Green Impact and received any awards as a result of this? !!!!!!!!!!!!
Where did you place in Veggie Pledge 2017? 32nd
What is your proudest environmental policy? Food compost bins available in student kitchens next year.
What was your rating in Student Switch Off 2017-18? Bronze
What advice would you give to other environment reps in the uni? !!!!!
St Catherine's College
Website: http://www.stcatz.ox.ac.uk/
Bio: St Catz, as the youngest undergraduate college in Oxford is also very keen to be the greenest one. The college has taken multiple steps to reduce its environmental impact, including removing paper towel dispensers, introducing a 5p charge on straws in our bar and the provision of mugs and college bottles to reduce disposable cup usage. Alongside this the college has been graded Platinum in the Student Switch Off competition and placed 5th in Veggie Pledge. We have an active fossil fuel divestment campaign, a Green Impact group and do termly food and clothing collections to reduce waste. Our JCR has actively been seeking to encourage cycle safety, as well as being involved in negotiations to introduce renewable energy such as solar to our college buildings. We are one of the founding JCR's for the Green Trashing Campaign and are seeking to make this campaign effective. We remain ambitious in reducing plastic waste where we are seeking to reduce use on site, by both the faculty and the students and ensure recycling. The buildings on site are currently in the process of transitioning to motion activated LED lights so as to reduce energy impact as well! Catz is a vibrant and welcoming JCR, and this extends to the support it gives to green campaigns and students!
Do you participate in Green Impact and received any awards as a result of this? Catz began participating this year and achieved a Bronze award for 2017/18.
Where did you place in Veggie Pledge 2017? 5th
What is your proudest environmental policy? Removal of paper hand wash dispensers from site
What was your rating in Student Switch Off 2017-18? Platinum.
What advice would you give to other environment reps in the uni? Work with as many different people as possible to get the biggest impact!
Bio: St Catz, as the youngest undergraduate college in Oxford is also very keen to be the greenest one. The college has taken multiple steps to reduce its environmental impact, including removing paper towel dispensers, introducing a 5p charge on straws in our bar and the provision of mugs and college bottles to reduce disposable cup usage. Alongside this the college has been graded Platinum in the Student Switch Off competition and placed 5th in Veggie Pledge. We have an active fossil fuel divestment campaign, a Green Impact group and do termly food and clothing collections to reduce waste. Our JCR has actively been seeking to encourage cycle safety, as well as being involved in negotiations to introduce renewable energy such as solar to our college buildings. We are one of the founding JCR's for the Green Trashing Campaign and are seeking to make this campaign effective. We remain ambitious in reducing plastic waste where we are seeking to reduce use on site, by both the faculty and the students and ensure recycling. The buildings on site are currently in the process of transitioning to motion activated LED lights so as to reduce energy impact as well! Catz is a vibrant and welcoming JCR, and this extends to the support it gives to green campaigns and students!
Do you participate in Green Impact and received any awards as a result of this? Catz began participating this year and achieved a Bronze award for 2017/18.
Where did you place in Veggie Pledge 2017? 5th
What is your proudest environmental policy? Removal of paper hand wash dispensers from site
What was your rating in Student Switch Off 2017-18? Platinum.
What advice would you give to other environment reps in the uni? Work with as many different people as possible to get the biggest impact!
Wadham College
Website: http://www.wadham.ox.ac.uk/ http://su.wadham.ox.ac.uk/
Bio: Environment and sustainability issues are taken very seriously by Wadham students and administration. Our most successful area is probably food sourcing/waste, we’re very proud of our Veggie Monday College dinners and ~25% of students are registered as Vegetarian for College meals, meaning we consistently place 1st in Veggie Pledge and have a deserved reputation as the Veggie College! We’re also active participants in the University’s Fairtrade Accreditation Scheme and enthusiastically celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight 2018, with College and the SU now committed to serve Fairtrade products at all catering outlets, meetings and applicable events. As for food waste, we have a relationship with the Gatehouse homeless shelter, to whom we donate any leftover food not served at our College meals, and most students have access to food caddies so they can dispose of their waste in an eco-friendly way. Additionally, our new Lee Shau Kee Undergraduate Centre, due to be completed in 2020, is planned to be one of the most eco-friendly buildings in the University, with recycled materials being used at all stages of the building and furnishing processes and state-of-the- art technology employed to maximise energy efficiency, and this, along with our new 2nd year accomodation in Iffley, are to be fitted with solar panels. We are constantly looking to improve, and the College has recently created a Sustainability Working Group, with staff and student representation, to discuss ways in which we can boost recycling, reduce resource and energy use, and increase energy efficiency. On the SU’s side, we recently voted to replace plastic straws in the College bar with paper alternatives, are exploring ways to discourage use of non-biodegradable coffee cups and promote vegetarianism, and are discussing with College on the development of a meaningful ethical/environmental investment policy for our endowment!
Do you participate in Green Impact and have you received any awards as a result of this? We don’t currently participate but have set up a team for the coming year.
Where did you place in Veggie Pledge 2017? 1st
What is your proudest environmental policy?
Our food waste policies, with the student food caddies, Gatehouse donations, and end-of-term British Heart Foundation collections (recent proposals under consideration at our new Working Group could improve this further!)
What was your rating in Student Switch Off 2017-18? Silver
What advice would you give to other environment reps in the uni? Don’t be afraid to raise suggestions with your College administration, and if necessary to be persistent and push them, they can be surprisingly receptive to suggestions and even if they don’t agree 100% they are often more than willing to discuss an issue and come up with a solution of some sort, especially if you come to them confidently with concrete ideas!
Bio: Environment and sustainability issues are taken very seriously by Wadham students and administration. Our most successful area is probably food sourcing/waste, we’re very proud of our Veggie Monday College dinners and ~25% of students are registered as Vegetarian for College meals, meaning we consistently place 1st in Veggie Pledge and have a deserved reputation as the Veggie College! We’re also active participants in the University’s Fairtrade Accreditation Scheme and enthusiastically celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight 2018, with College and the SU now committed to serve Fairtrade products at all catering outlets, meetings and applicable events. As for food waste, we have a relationship with the Gatehouse homeless shelter, to whom we donate any leftover food not served at our College meals, and most students have access to food caddies so they can dispose of their waste in an eco-friendly way. Additionally, our new Lee Shau Kee Undergraduate Centre, due to be completed in 2020, is planned to be one of the most eco-friendly buildings in the University, with recycled materials being used at all stages of the building and furnishing processes and state-of-the- art technology employed to maximise energy efficiency, and this, along with our new 2nd year accomodation in Iffley, are to be fitted with solar panels. We are constantly looking to improve, and the College has recently created a Sustainability Working Group, with staff and student representation, to discuss ways in which we can boost recycling, reduce resource and energy use, and increase energy efficiency. On the SU’s side, we recently voted to replace plastic straws in the College bar with paper alternatives, are exploring ways to discourage use of non-biodegradable coffee cups and promote vegetarianism, and are discussing with College on the development of a meaningful ethical/environmental investment policy for our endowment!
Do you participate in Green Impact and have you received any awards as a result of this? We don’t currently participate but have set up a team for the coming year.
Where did you place in Veggie Pledge 2017? 1st
What is your proudest environmental policy?
Our food waste policies, with the student food caddies, Gatehouse donations, and end-of-term British Heart Foundation collections (recent proposals under consideration at our new Working Group could improve this further!)
What was your rating in Student Switch Off 2017-18? Silver
What advice would you give to other environment reps in the uni? Don’t be afraid to raise suggestions with your College administration, and if necessary to be persistent and push them, they can be surprisingly receptive to suggestions and even if they don’t agree 100% they are often more than willing to discuss an issue and come up with a solution of some sort, especially if you come to them confidently with concrete ideas!
Worcester College
Website: https://www.worc.ox.ac.uk/
Bio: Worcester College is known for its beautiful green grounds and gardens, so we pride ourselves in being the other type of green too, by being as environmentally friendly as we possibly can. Still, we are coming up with new policies to reduce our negative environmental impact such as the recent introduction of the plastic straw ban in the bar. We are campaigning for fossil fuel divestment, which also involves being able to access information concerning where our money is invested, within the university, which we hope to continue to support. We proudly manage our very own Edible Garden, which any member of the college can plant fruits, vegetables and plants. We regularly host environmental film screenings to raise awareness of current environmental issues on a much wider scale outside the Oxford bubble! Our second-place position at the end of the Veggie Pledge 2017 saw many students still eating more sustainable diets once the month was over. We have a number of battery recycling boxes in college, and we are hoping to be able to get pen recycling boxes for our college libraries in the near future too. Next term, we aim to buy library-safe Worcester KeepCups, to sell in college, in order to reduce the number of paper cups thrown away from takeaway coffees.
Do you participate in Green Impact and have you received any awards as a result of this? No
Where did you place in Veggie Pledge 2017? 2nd
What is your proudest environmental policy? Reducing plastic waste by banning straws from the college bar
What is your rating in Student Switch Off 2017-18? Silver
What advice would you give to other environment reps in the uni? Banning straws from the college bar seems like a good place to start in reducing plastic waste. Also KeepCup stash would be popular and considerably reduce the waste of disposable coffee cups from hall hot drink machines.
Bio: Worcester College is known for its beautiful green grounds and gardens, so we pride ourselves in being the other type of green too, by being as environmentally friendly as we possibly can. Still, we are coming up with new policies to reduce our negative environmental impact such as the recent introduction of the plastic straw ban in the bar. We are campaigning for fossil fuel divestment, which also involves being able to access information concerning where our money is invested, within the university, which we hope to continue to support. We proudly manage our very own Edible Garden, which any member of the college can plant fruits, vegetables and plants. We regularly host environmental film screenings to raise awareness of current environmental issues on a much wider scale outside the Oxford bubble! Our second-place position at the end of the Veggie Pledge 2017 saw many students still eating more sustainable diets once the month was over. We have a number of battery recycling boxes in college, and we are hoping to be able to get pen recycling boxes for our college libraries in the near future too. Next term, we aim to buy library-safe Worcester KeepCups, to sell in college, in order to reduce the number of paper cups thrown away from takeaway coffees.
Do you participate in Green Impact and have you received any awards as a result of this? No
Where did you place in Veggie Pledge 2017? 2nd
What is your proudest environmental policy? Reducing plastic waste by banning straws from the college bar
What is your rating in Student Switch Off 2017-18? Silver
What advice would you give to other environment reps in the uni? Banning straws from the college bar seems like a good place to start in reducing plastic waste. Also KeepCup stash would be popular and considerably reduce the waste of disposable coffee cups from hall hot drink machines.
