Throughout July, staff, students and local community members came together to reduce single-use plastics and take steps towards a more sustainable future.
Across 11 impactful events, we got stuck in, from hands-on gardening to creative upcycling and litter picking, showing what’s possible when we act with purpose.
Here’s what we got up to:
Hedgehog-Friendly Litter Picks
We kicked off and closed the month with our fortnightly Hedgehog-Friendly Litter Picks. These sessions cleared plastics from our campus and surrounding areas, making it not only a nicer space to enjoy but a safe environment for wildlife. Coming together to clean our campus and the park reminds us of how much difference we can make together.
Community Growing Space
Our weekly gardening sessions at the Community Growing Space promoted sustainable growing techniques, from repurposing materials to composting. We got stuck in with planting, weeding and in building out more of our garden space, making it an event better place for all to enjoy.
Soap Workshop
Participants got creative making natural, plastic-free soap – a simple, hands-on way to cut out plastic from everyday life. By using soap bars, we’re not relying on single use plastic bottles for our cleaning products. The soap we made was package free and our soap moulds can be used again and again to make more soap in future.
Plastic-Free Picnic
We had a relaxed and tasty sustainable picnic in Media City. Blankets, home-prepped lunches, but of course, no sunshine. The rain unfortunately meant we had our picnic indoors, but that didn’t stop us having insightful conversations about sustainability at our University!
Tote Bag Workshop
In this popular session we turned old pre-dated tote bags from university events into personalised designs. Attendees got to make use of the fabric scraps from our costume studio getting creative with the different materials offcuts. Not only do people have a reusable plastic free bag they can cherish but we’ve also made us of otherwise waste materials!
Film Screening
To round off the month, we hosted a thought-provoking documentary screening showing the film Albatross by Chris Jordan. In this film, Chris captures the lives of Albatross’s residing in Midway Island, situated in the North Pacific Ocean, exploring their way of life and the detrimental effects humans can have on them. The film highlighted the devastating impact plastics have on these birds and the screening encouraged deeper reflection on plastic use, waste and the steps we can all take to drive change.
Plastic-Free Competition
We are also excited to announce our Plastic Free July Competition winners. We’re very grateful to everyone who contributed to this months competition demonstrating creativity and considerations of plastics. Have a read below about our awardees.
🥇First Place – Bharath Subbarao, Fallen Fresco – This piece is made with coffee, turmeric, charcoal, water, and fallen leaves, the work is held together using homemade rice glue, ensuring a completely plastic-free and sustainable composition. The title, “Fallen Fresco,” symbolises a temporary, earthy mural — one that draws its beauty from impermanence and natural textures rather than permanence or polish.
🥈Second Place – Anya Brady, Textiles Flower – This textile piece is sewn by hand, using only scraps of fabric. It is inspired by the daisies and ladybirds in Peel Park. You can see how Anya created the piece via her Instagram @anyab.design
🥉Third Place – Saadan Hussain, The Things We Leave Behind – The poem draws from my academic and field experience working on macroplastic pollution and aims to reflect the emotional and ecological consequences of plastic waste entering our rivers and oceans. From entanglement of aquatic species to bioaccumulation through the food chain, the impact of plastic is deep and far-reaching. It also contributes to deteriorating water quality and the loss of recreational value in natural water bodies.
You can see Bharath Subbarao’s winning submission below and can head to our Instagram to see our other awardees piece at @UoS_Sustain
Why It Matters
Plastic-Free July isn’t just about four weeks of action – it’s a mindset we can carry forward. Every refill, reuse and rethink helps reduce waste and protects our environment. By embedding sustainability into our everyday choices, we can all play a part in tackling the climate crisis.
Thank You
A huge thank you to everyone who took part – whether you came to one event or many, your contribution mattered.