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Sustainable Campus

We are committed to achieving a carbon-neutral campus by 2038 through a range of impactful initiatives. By implementing energy-efficient technologies, decarbonising our buildings, promoting sustainable travel, and enhancing biodiversity, we aim to create a campus that serves as a living lab for sustainability.

  • Net Zero Carbon and Buildings Decarbonisation plans: Our Estates and Facilities team lead efforts to improve energy and water efficiency, reduce waste, and minimise resource use. Our Environmental and Energy Management System (EEMS) is certified to both ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 50001:2018 standards, highlighting our commitment to ongoing environmental improvement. Our Energy, Water, and Carbon Management Plan guides our work, setting clear goals for reducing energy consumption and transitioning to renewable energy sources. We are actively working to decarbonise campus buildings, including the elimination of avoidable single-use plastics and implementing sustainable construction practices for new projects and refurbishments.
  • Sustainable Transport: We are dedicated to reducing emissions from transport by encouraging sustainable travel options like cycling through our Cycle to Work scheme, walking, public transport, car-sharing, and decarbonising our own fleet.
  • Sustainable food policy: Our Sustainable Food Policy is designed to promote healthy, sustainable, and ethical food choices on campus. By prioritising locally sourced, seasonal, and responsibly produced ingredients in collaboration with our in-house catering services, we reduce our carbon footprint and support local suppliers.
  • Biodiversity and Green Spaces: Our commitment to a green campus extends to preserving and enhancing biodiversity on our grounds. Through habitat restoration, litter picks, and creating spaces for local wildlife in collaboration with the Salford Ranger Team, we work to protect the natural environment. Our efforts are aligned with regional initiatives such as the PlasticFreeGM pledge, aiming to reduce single-use plastics across Greater Manchester and promote broader environmental stewardship, in addition to the Hedgehog Friendly Campus scheme, within which we hold platinum accreditation.
  • Waste Management and circular economy: By following the principles of the waste hierarchy, we aim to minimise waste on campus and encourage sustainable resource use, guided by our Waste Management Plan. Our ethical and sustainable procurement system ensures that environmental and social impacts are considered in all purchases, from supplies to services.

Joule House or Green House?

Building on practices embedded in the 2014-15 Green Impact, colleagues in Joule House are taking further steps to create a big impact. Once home to the Salfordian physicist James Joule Prescott, the Joule House team is committed to preserving its heritage in reducing energy inefficiency. Working within the confinements of the restrictions imposed on the […]

Blackout 2017

On Friday 10th March staff and students gathered together to take part in the National Union of Students’ Blackout campaign. After a brief training session and donning their Blackout t-shirts, the volunteers split into teams and went to audit non-essential lights and equipment in their allocated areas. The teams noted down the total number of […]

SALFOOD awarded Bronze Food for Life Catering Mark

SALFOOD achieves Bronze Food for Life Catering Mark for serving fresh and healthy meals in Allerton and Maxwell Restaurants. SALFOOD has achieved the Soil Association’s Bronze Food for Life Catering Mark, for serving fresh meals that meet nutritional guidelines. More and more, people want to know where their food comes from and how it has […]

Go Green Salford

From Monday 13th February – Friday 10th March we will be running a series of free events and activities to raise awareness of sustainability issues and engage with the University community. You can find details below of the activities planned so far and there will be further events announced soon. If you would like any […]

Green Gown Awards Success!

We are very proud to annouce that the University of Salford has won two Green Gown Awards last week for community and student research projects at a prestigious ceremony in the cultural quarter of Leicester. Established in 2004, the Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities, colleges and the learning and skills […]

Introducing our new team members!

A big welcome to new and existing staff and students here at the University of Salford. The Sustainability Team are looking forward to an exciting year ahead and hope that you are ready to get involved too! Gillian Wright joined the University back in May as the Energy Manager, and Neva Mowl has recently started […]

We’ve been WARP’ing-it!

Around a year ago we launched WARP-IT at the University of Salford. No, it’s not a system to get us out of here very quickly!! It actually stands for Waste Action Resource Portal, it’s a redistribution network for items that we might usually dispose of. WARP-it works in a similar way to Ebay or Freecycle […]

We Sat Down to Stand Up for Farmers and #Fairtrade!

The thin months, the months of the big stomach, the times of silence – these are just some of the ways the farmers behind our breakfast describe the times of the year when they struggle to feed themselves and their families. Millions of farmers and workers in developing countries are going hungry, missing meals or, […]

Springing Back!

Hello! It’s Bec here! As you can see we have been a bit quiet over the last year on our blog as i’ve been on maternity leave where I had 9 months to enjoy welcoming our second little boy, Owen, to our family, joining our eldest, Oliver. However, we will be starting to post more […]

! Blackout !

On Friday March 20th, seventy staff and student volunteers came together to audit and turn off unnecessary lights and equipment for the weekend as part of the National Union of Students’ Blackout campaign. It’s the first campus-wide energy audit the university has held for a number of years. Students met at the Atmosphere Café in […]