Green Tips and Hacks by

Buy Sustainable Products

careers14 — 2019-04-05 12:32:44 UTC

Before you buy, check out Ethical Consumer or The Good Shopping Guide to make sure you're buying from an ethical brand.

Switch Off

careers14 — 2019-04-05 12:45:09 UTC

At the end of the day:

Switch off your monitor as well as the PC
Switch off all lights including the kitchen, meeting rooms and toilets
Make sure that chargers are turned off too

Before public holidays:

Turn radiators down
Turn off electrical appliances at the socket
Switch off lights

Cycling

careers14 — 2019-04-05 12:58:13 UTC

Check out the cycling webpage to:

Join the Cycle Pool scheme - bike hire for up to 48 hours
Location of bicycle pumps on campus
Locations of bike sheds
Cycle training cashback scheme
Plan a cycle route
Upcoming bike doctor events
Cycletowork staff salary exchange scheme
Finding out about e-scooters

www.lovetoride.net hosts ride to work week, where you can register to clock your miles and win prizes and get in touch with other cyclists

Recycle clothes, bric a brac & more

careers14 — 2019-04-05 13:30:09 UTC

Use the recycle-chat channel on Slack for passing on items that you no longer need.

There are British Heart Foundation collection bins at every college. Our nearest one is at the Back of Vanbrugh College. You can post items to the British Heart Foundation: www.bhf.org.uk/shop/donating-goods/post-your-donations Donate your unwanted furniture, homeware and electrical items using the bhf's free collection service.

Take a look at the map in the main Careers Building corridor for recycling points in York for other items.

Make your own cleaners

Careers_digitalconnector — 2019-04-25 10:25:15 UTC

1/2 cup of white vinegar
Juice of half a lemon
1 cup of cooled boiled water
20 drops of essential oil (tea tree or lemon is good)
Store in an amber glass bottle
Use in kitchen or bathroom but not on wood.
More recipes for natural cleaning can be found at www.pistachioproject.com

Planning local journeys

Careers_digitalconnector — 2019-04-25 11:26:29 UTC

If you're planning a journey, take a look at www.itravelyork.info
for bus routes and timetables, cycle maps and parking, live traffic and roadworks updates.

If you're driving..

careers14 — 2019-04-25 12:03:12 UTC

Save up to 20% on fuel consumption by following some simple tips:

www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/transport/driving-advice

Find out about the Enterprise car club

Cut down on plastic

careers14 — 2019-04-25 13:00:36 UTC

Switch to shampoo and soap bars. You can find good ones at Lush, Holland & Barrett www.doloresandrose.co.uk and www.conchus.co.uk
Ditch cling film and use containers or reusable beeswax wraps. You can get these from Bumble Wrap or Its Good to Bee or if you're Vegan, try Vegan Food Wraps
Use a zero waste store to refill your containers with foodstuffs. Our nearest one is The Bishy Weigh and Alligator Wholefoods on Fishergate
Carry a reusable bottle, mug and bag

Travelling across campus

careers14 — 2019-04-25 13:31:39 UTC

Check out the UoYCampusNews twitter feed and the Campus Works webpage to see where work is underway that may affect your travel across campus

Nature on campus

careers14 — 2019-04-25 13:54:04 UTC

Did you know there are two guided walks on campus. You can download a map and guide for the Campus tree trail and the Campus East nature walk on the Wildlife at University webpage

If you spot any wildlife on campus, record it on the University's wildlife sightings website!

Charging batteries

careers14 — 2019-04-25 14:04:43 UTC

The Info Desk has a battery charger for use with re-chargeable batteries. It's in the socket behind the desk. When batteries are dead they can be put in the recycling bin at any college reception.

Recycle work furniture and equipment

careers14 — 2019-04-25 14:07:52 UTC

Irena and Sue are registered users on Warpit, so if you have any office furniture or equipment you want rid of, let them know.

Recycle packaging

careers14 — 2019-04-26 08:57:01 UTC

Cardboard and paper can be placed in the bins next to the second entrance door.
Use the bags in the kitchen cupboard for glass, foil, wrappers, cans, punnets and yogurt pots.
Check the rota on the cupboard door to see when its your turn to empty the bags into the recycling bins at the back of our building

Reduce waste

careers14 — 2019-04-26 09:06:47 UTC

Think about ditching disposable items like wipes, plastic razors and toothbrushes. You can buy bamboo toothbrushes online or in Superdrug!
Take broken items to a repair cafe. There is one in Southbank and Pocklington every month
Donate what you don't need

careers14 — 2019-04-26 09:31:24 UTC

Loo paper!

2019-04-26 13:19:41 UTC

Instead of buying plastic wrapped toilet paper, get your loo rolls from Who gives a crap? (yes, really!) 100% recycled, wrapped in colourful paper (to make a feature in your loo), and they give 50% of their profits to build toilets where they’re needed. You can even get a free trial pack.
A similar option is UK based Bumboo . Made from Bamboo, plastic free packaging, order in bulk and delivered to your door. (Also lovely paper wrappers)

Don't overload sockets

careers14 — 2019-05-29 13:09:57 UTC

If you use an extension lead, make sure you are not overloading it. Check out the Overload calculator on Electrical Safety First

Check your print usage

careers14 — 2019-06-07 12:47:04 UTC

Check out the number of pages you've printed and what the environmental impact has been on https://print.york.ac.uk/user
It shows your printing in % of a tree used, how many kg of CO2 and how many hours of running a light bulb

Green Shopping in York

careers14 — 2020-03-13 13:52:33 UTC

Zero Waste shops in York
The Little Green Weigh
Heima
The Giftery & The Shop of Small Changes (Refill toiletries and cleaning products)
The Bishy Weigh
Alligator Foods
Peppercorn Pocklington
I Love Zero Pocklington
Scoop - Wentworth College
Makezero.co.uk - surplus food and eco products from shops or local growers. Pick up or pay for delivery

Save water at home

Careers_digitalconnector — 2021-01-27 14:46:13 UTC

Switch off and unplug

2021-03-16 09:35:37 UTC

Do a walk round your home to see what electrical appliances have been left switch on and/or plugged in - and needn't be.
The majority of equipment will still use electricity if left plugged in, so you could be saving yourself money, while also saving the planet!

Test your knowledge!

2021-03-16 10:00:51 UTC

Try the BBC online sustainability quiz (https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/znmnb9q/test).

Our Green New Years Resolutions 2024

careers14 — 2021-03-17 12:47:16 UTC

Joey - to use the Good To Go app to help eliminate food waste (and eat some really good food!)
Irena - to save up the coffee pods at home and take them to St Nick's for recycling
Sue - I want to get back into the habit (after lockdown!) of using my own cup and water bottle instead of buying takeaway cups, or bottled water
Rachael - to only buy secon-hand clothes for the year (for myself)
Hilary - to mend clothing to make it last longer. I'd also like to learn how to do visible mending http://www.gathered.how/homes-diy/upcycling/visible-mending
Leigh - use public transport more often instead of taking the car into work since moving outside of York

careers14 — 2021-03-17 13:12:54 UTC

Cycle Pumps on campus

careers14 — 2021-03-17 13:17:03 UTC

Our nearest is Grimston House, near Vanbrugh. See all the locations below:

Recycle with St Nick's

2021-03-20 10:39:15 UTC

Did you know you can recycle: Pringles packaging, used toothpaste tubes, peanut bags and more through St Nicholas Fields? See the website for more details - https://stnicks.org.uk/make-a-difference/our-recycling-service/support-us-by-recycling-more/

Take a look at the map in the main Careers Building corridor for recycling points in York for other items.

Having a make-up spring clean?

2021-03-23 09:56:38 UTC

You can now recycle used cosmetics at branches of Boots and Superdrug as well as at Tesco Extra. More information is available on the Maybelline website. All make-up brands are accepted, not just Maybelline.

Take a look at the map in the main Careers Building corridor for recycling points in York for other items.

E-comms still uses energy

2021-03-29 14:18:45 UTC

While emails are more energy-friendly than paper comms, energy is still used in sending them.
So, think twice before you 'reply all' or reply at all!
Tip: if you need to acknowledge receipt of an email, send a blank email with the thanks in the title field. Less energy is needed!

No need for 'standby'

2021-04-13 11:14:48 UTC

Don't be tempted to leave your PC/laptop/monitor on standby overnight.
Switching off and unplugging can save up to 82.5kg of CO2 per person. Basically, leaving a monitor on overnight wastes enough electricity to laser print 500 pages!
All it takes, is a click of a switch.

Recycling Tetra, foil, etc

2021-04-13 14:16:32 UTC

Hazel Court Household Waste Recycling Centre have recycling banks to recycle foil and tetra, but if you don't fancy queuing there, you can always take your tetra to the recycle bank in either St Andrew's church car park in Bishopthorpe or Bishopthorpe Road car park, and your foil to Asda at Monks Cross or to the Designer Outlet. For more info on where to take your recycling, check out Recycle and reuse A to Z – City of York Council.

Take a look at the map in the main Careers Building corridor for recycling points in York for other items.

Don't want to be all hot and sweaty when you get to work after biking?

careers14 — 2021-04-13 14:58:13 UTC

Don't worry, there's showers and dressing rooms in the Spring Lane building right next door! To find out where the other showering facilities are, see the Sustainable facilities map.

Don't throw away your empty medicine blister packets!

careers14 — 2021-04-13 15:21:44 UTC

Update: Currently no York pharmacies are in this scheme but hopefully this will change. Tower Court GP surgery (Clifton Moor) are collecting them currently (Mar 2024).

You can take your empty medicine blister packets to Superdrug stores that have a pharmacy and possibly, though unconfirmed, Tower Vets Fulford Road, Unity Health on Hes East and Whitworth Chemists Melrosegate (Dec 2023).

Take a look at the map in the main Careers Building corridor for recycling points in York for other items.

Sustainability and recycling points

2021-04-13 16:01:59 UTC

Check out the University's sustainability web pages. It's full of ideas of how to do your bit - where to recycle (eg clothes banks on campus, YORCUP points); how to travel sustainably; shop more sustainably; and lots more.

Take a look at the map in the main Careers Building corridor for recycling points in York for other items.

Banana skins

Careers_digitalconnector — 2021-04-14 11:18:43 UTC

Tip - add a banana skin to a jar of water and leave to infuse for 24 hours. You can use the infused water as a plant food for indoor plants. It contains potassium, phosphorus and calcium

Tip - Old bananas can feed butterflies too! Take a brown banana and squidge it so the insides turn mushy. Cut a few slits in the skin then put it in a sunny spot near some flowers. Butterflies love them

YORCUP

careers14 — 2021-04-15 11:13:29 UTC

Ten thousand students and staff have now joined the YORCUP scheme! This follows from our fantastic achievement of saving 1 million single-use plastic cups from landfill.

We are also launching our brand new cup, which is not only made in the UK but made in Yorkshire!

Either use your own cup or get a YORCUP for a discount on your drink.

Return YORCUPs to cafe outlets for cleaning to ensure there are enough in circulation. YORCUP bins are available around campus for this purpose

Disposable cup recycling bins on campus

careers14 — 2021-04-15 11:21:38 UTC

Campus has special disposable cup recycling bins across campus. They can't go in mixed recycling bins BUT there is a special disposable cup recycling bin just next door in the Spring Lane building in the atrium on the lake side of the building. See all other locations on this disposable cup bins map

E-scooters

careers14 — 2021-04-15 12:04:36 UTC

Pick up an e-scooter or an e-bike outside the Spring Lane Building to shuttle between Campus East and West. This is free but if you want to go into the city, you'll need to pay. Find out more on the E-scooters and e-bikes web page

Making the switch for my beloved brew - mini blog

2021-04-15 13:05:10 UTC

Have been reading through some of the articles and blogs suggested in the GI workbook/resources. One item got me thinking (https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/sustainable-zero-waste-kitchen/) and it made me question why I was still using teabags, when I could switch to loose leaf tea.

I did a bit more research of my two favourite brands of tea (Yorkshire Tea and Tetley's) and discovered the amount of plastic used in sealing the teabags. I know both companies are working on trying to avoid the use of plastics in their bags, but why haven't I thought of swapping to loose leaf sooner?

It's a no-brainer, as it'll reduce the waste in my kitchen bin, be more economical and environmentally sound. So, this weekend's purchase will be loose leaf tea and a tea steeper!

Also, the article gave alternatives to paper towels and reminded me that I have switched from drying my daily portion of grapes on a sheet of paper towel to a clean tea towel (which will from now on be specially reserved for the task!).

Great tips via the Energy Saving Trust blog

2021-04-15 13:34:19 UTC

Some thought-provoking ideas on the Energy Saving Trust blog, including some interesting facts about appliances around your home. For instance, did you know that there should be at least a 10cm gap behind your fridge to let heat flow away more easily?

Have you heard of the Recycle Project?

careers14 — 2021-08-12 09:05:58 UTC

Based in York, they recycle waste and give it a new lease of life. They also offer free workshops on furniture upcycling, bike maintenance, repair shop and pallet workshops
https://therecycleprojectcic.com/workshops/

Food Banks

careers14 — 2021-08-12 14:49:43 UTC

The People's Pantry in Pocklington collect longlife foods and fresh veg plus unused cosmetics and used local school uniform for families in need. They have a collection point in Sainsburys, Nationwide and at the Rugby Club in Pocklington
York also has a food bank and you can see the donation points and what they are in need of on their website at https://york.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/

EV Charging points

careers14 — 2022-02-15 18:05:13 UTC

For those of you with electric vehicles, the university now has 5 double chargers, available at the Church Lane Building. For more details, see the UoY EV Charging Guide

How ethical is your bank?

careers14 — 2022-03-25 12:15:18 UTC

Two major areas to look at when researching how ethical your bank is are:

Investments
Tax

Many banks invest in unethical and environmentally damaging activities like fossil fuel financing, new oil and gas exploration and the arms trade.

Ethical Consumer has good information on this and Bank.Green has a great function where you can enter a bank's name and see their rating according to their climate credentials.

The Money Carbon Calculator is a great tool where you can enter your bank's name to see how much carbon your funds are producing.

Some of the top rated ethical banks include Triodos bank, Nationwide and Monzo in the UK.

It's surprisingly easy to switch your current account using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) Once you have opened a new account and chosen a switch date, the new bank will transfer incoming payments (salary etc) and all of your direct debits and standing orders. Any payments sent to the old account will be automatically redirected.

Water fountain directory

2022-03-31 13:32:28 UTC

Get the Refill app (https://www.refill.org.uk/) and find your nearest water fountain/refill point!

Reduce energy consumed by your devices

careers14 — 2024-03-21 12:51:29 UTC

Help your device battery last longer with these tips

Reduce screen brightness (25-45% brightness is usually suitable for indoor use);
Switching to dark mode on mobile phones and applications;
Shortening the amount of time before the screen powers off (mobile and tablets);
Shortening the amount of time before the device goes into sleep or hibernate mode (laptops).

Recycle CDs or DVDs

careers14 — 2024-03-26 14:46:01 UTC

If you have any unwanted CDs or DVDs these can be recycled by placing them in CD/DVD confidential waste bags, which are available from the mail room or by emailing admn203@york.ac.uk. Small volumes of CDs or DVDs can also be destroyed by shredding in the machine located in the Seebohm Rowntree Building area 3.

Take a look at the map in the main Careers Building corridor for recycling points in York for other items.

Want a makeup remover pad that's sustainable?

careers14 — 2024-04-10 10:52:17 UTC

Bambaw reusable makeup remover pads are made of bamboo and cotton fibres so they're better for your skin, the planet and your wallet! They even come with a drawstring bag to put them in when you put them in the washing machine! Reusable Makeup Remover Pads | Eco Living | Bambaw