The wasteful side of technology

In the last 40 years, our society and economy have been revolutionized by digital technology. As sharing data is getting easier and quicker, this helps us to become more connected, productive and informed. It is also transforming our public services; if used right, these advancements can lead to increased security and improved wellbeing. Some of the benefits have been particularly visible during the Covid-19 pandemic – digital technologies have been a crucial element in the scientific research and the health services’ response, and allowed many of us to work, study, and stay connected during lockdowns despite physical distance. However, what we need to be conscious of is that, while revolutionary, these technologies are leaving a trail of carbon and waste behind – both physical and digital. 

Environmental impacts

It is estimated that, per year, we globally produce up to 50 million tonnes of discarded electronic appliances, called e-waste. The UK is its second largest producer, responsible for a third of this waste (1.5 million). Unfortunately, only about 17% of this gets recycled every year in the UK.

Producing electronics requires extraction of raw materials such as metals, minerals and rare-earth elements. Apart from the fact that most of these are finite resources extracted at alarming rates, mining contributes to over 90% of global biodiversity loss and water stress impacts. Another issue is disposal of hardware. When not discarded correctly, computers, TVs, printers, fridges, and many others, can pollute air, soil and water, leading to harm for all of us – humans and wildlife. As these never completely degrade and toxic elements such as mercury, lead and cadmium can cause contamination.

In terms of data, generation and storage of emails, pictures, videos, etc. requires tremendous amounts of energy. A lot of it ends up being wasted, as around 80% of all digital data is never accessed or used again after it is first stored. The internet emits about a billion tonnes of CO2 per year; to put this into context – all 2019 worldwide flights produced roughly 915m tonnes of CO2. Despite the rate at which it is growing, the environmental impact of data is often underreported and poorly understood. To find out more about this issue, we recommend you watch this incredibly eye-opening talk ‘Make It Matter’ organized by the University of Salford Maker Space team earlier this year. The speaker was Gerry McGovern, a digital expert and author of several books on digital waste. You can find the recording here:


So – what can we do? As with any type of waste, we need to focus on the elements which can be safely eliminated or replaced. Here’s a list of simple things we can all do to help our planet.

Reducing e-waste

  • Make it last

If a phone is used for at least 5 years, instead of the typical 2-3, this can cut the associated carbon emissions and water consumption by half. Take good care of your devices to ensure they last as long as possible. This can involve buying a case and a screen protector, keeping it clean (remember to sanitise!), avoiding usage while eating, drinking or next to sources of water, and avoiding overcharging the battery.

  • Think before you buy

Before making a new purchase, consider whether you really need the new phone or toaster. And if you do, is there an option to buy it second-hand? If you’re in a need of a computer but for a limited time or a specific purpose (e.g. while completing a degree), there are a range of computers you can use at our University Library, or you can also borrow one for free – here you can find out how.

  • Buy certified

If you decide that a new purchase is necessary, look for products which achieved certifications such as the Energy Star for energy efficiency, or Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), which considers elimination of toxic substances, use of recycled and recyclable materials, product design for recycling, product longevity, energy efficiency, corporate performance and packaging attributes.

  • Give it away

If your device still works but you don’t need or want it anymore, don’t bin it – donate it! Here you can find a list of places where you can make a donation. You can also donate to these charities: British Heart Foundation, emmaus, Fara, Get Well Gamers. And don’t forget to have a look around on social media! Use tools such as the Facebook Marketplace to check if anyone around you could give your device a new life. 

  • Recycle

If there is no way for you to avoid wasting electronics, ensure you recycle them instead of putting them into general waste. Items such as kitchen appliances, phones, TVs, and electrical tools can all be recycled. Here you can find information on how e-waste is recycled and where you can recycle yours.

At our University, disposal of e-waste is handled by our Digital IT team. If you need to dispose of an item, click here to contact the team, or here to view all of the University’s waste-related guidelines. If you’re a staff member, you can also use WARP-it, our reuse scheme, for items such as printer cartridges – read more here.

Reducing digital waste

  • Disconnect

You can decrease the amount of data generated by your devices simply by using them less. While at work this might be tricky, consider alternative ways of spending your free time, such reading paper books or outdoor activities – why not complete our Tree Trail or make your garden hedgehog friendly?

  • Meetings

Did you know that a standard video call uses 7.5 times more data than a standard audio call? Consider this when making calls and think about whether having your camera on is always necessary. And, when possible, opt for a good old phone call instead.

  • Emails

We send hundreds of these each week – but do we have to? If you do need to send one, swap attachments for links whenever you can – carbon cost of a standard email is around 4g CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) – with attachments this can increase to 50g CO2e! Also, consider your signature – are there any heavy elements, such as a logo, which you could remove for replies?

  • Keep files in the ‘cloud’

Whenever possible, avoid downloading files from shared drives (such as Google Drive or OneDrive) onto your computer – for example when all you need is to view it without editing.


We hope you found this post useful! Here are our sources and some other useful websites in case you want to read more: DoSomething, Digital Detox, WEEE Forum, Gerry McGovern’s website, World Economic Forum, UK Parliament Publication, Carbon Literacy Project, Technology in the NHS blog (GOV.UK)

Follow us on social media for sustainability related content,

or to get in touch:

Photo credit: Sustainability Voices, Combined Resources, Cleanfox

UoS School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology Green Gown Awards Finalists

The Green Gown Awards are the most prestigious recognition of best practice within the further and higher education sector. Established in 2004, the aim of the Awards is to show recognition for exceptional sustainability initiatives undertaken within the education sector, and to highlight the role of universities and colleges in educating the next generations about sustainable and conscious solutions to the current challenges. 

We’re delighted and proud that two projects created by our staff and students from the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology, are finalists in the Next Generation Learning and Skills category.

Collaboration: Learning and Sharing Together

The purpose of this project was to address the environmental impacts of the fashion industry, and equip students with skills and confidence needed to develop sustainable solutions and drive change as creators and future employees.

As part of the Collaboration: Learning and Sharing Together module, Fashion Image Making Styling students were asked to complete a Caring Sharing assessment. With ethical environmental consciousness at its core, the assessment required them to collaborate in groups to create a full ‘zero waste’ look. The challenge was to consider environmental aspects of every element of the look and use no financial resources, relying instead on the idea of ‘repurpose, resource, rethink’. The resulting projects were exhibited as part of Go Green Salford 2020 and included many amazing ideas such as recreating the Louis Vuitton logo as a Green Party collaboration, patchwork blankets made from oil rig boiler suits, luxury sculptural dresses out of plastic waste, and trainers with soles carved into patterns to spread the message. One of the groups also created a series of mini-magazines and held sewing and dying workshops for children at a local school. 

As a result of the students’ creativity and collaboration, the project ended up involving not only the University but also the wider community, and made an even bigger impact than originally anticipated.

Here you can find more about this project.

Extinction Rebellion Takeover – Creatives prove that change can happen

This day-long event took place in November 2019 as a result of collaboration between the University of Salford, Design Manchester festival, Extinction Rebellion’s Art Group and a range of other professional creatives including Yas Banks (UoS Alumni),  Kaye Dunnings & Willy Brothwood (Glastonbury Festival) and Anna Mullin (Sneaky Racoon). It was attended by over 200 students from our University and numerous other institutions from across the region. 

The event was designed and delivered in a way which demonstrated the principles of circular economy in practice by utilising materials leftover from other projects, such as waste from 3D design workshops, instead of buying new ones. Students were also asked to bring items with them for a fashion styling swap shop and a sustainable fashion workshop where they were asked to make sweaters from just eight pairs of old socks.

The event aimed to inspire and empower students by celebrating their creativity and the impact it can have on global issues, such as the climate crisis. It involved a range of activities including debates, poster workshops, punk publishing sessions, and creative writing lessons. 

Here and here you can find more about this project. 


The virtual Awards ceremony will take place on tomorrow, Wednesday 24th March at 4pm

You can book your place here.

Well done and good luck to the finalists!

Sustainability NOW! – by Isobel Webster

Want to be trendy? Become sustainable.

We can’t deny that ordering a parcel containing new clothes we have nowhere to wear in lockdown, wasn’t the highlight of the week. However, what we probably didn’t realise was how damaging fashion can be to our world and how unsustainable the term ‘Fast Fashion’ really is. I have found some creators and artists that I want to share with you, who are creating fashion items that are completely sustainable. I have mainly focused on brands that are repurposing ‘ugly’ polluting items and turning them into something beautiful.


OceanZen Bikinis

Founded by Steph Gabriel, the “forefront of our ethos and the design and development of our swimwear” is sustainability.  A brand that is proud to be taking part in the shift in the fashion industry right now, where sustainable fashion is not just a trend, it’s here to stay. One of the first places you would find yourself wearing these beautiful bikinis is the beach, however, no one wants to go to a polluted beach with a sea with no life.  “Every year around 640, 000 tonnes of ‘ghost fishing gear’ enter our ocean and become adrift. These can stay in the ocean for up to 600 years and are the silent killers of our marine life.” This is why OceanZen takes these horrific statistics into consideration when creating the fabric for their bikinis and want to help make a change. In 2014 they started to use the revolutionary fabric that supports the removal of marine debris in our oceans, and pushing it even further they continue to manufacture swimwear pieces made of nylon waste, such as recycled plastic bottles and fishing nets that have been recovered from our oceans and recycled.  A factor that is often forgotten about when buying online, however, is that a massive contributor to waste is the packaging that our beloved clothing arrives in. This is not a problem for OceanZen, as they package orders in reusable cotton drawstring bags and their shipping satchels are made of 100% biodegradable and home compostable materials.  To top it off, they turn any leftover fabric into hair scrunchies! Waste not want not! 

Website: oceanzenbikini.com

Instagram: OceanZen

Katie Jones Knitwear

Katie Jones knitwear/crochet brand is a family-run fashion creative space by Katie and her mum, Annie. I love how fun, colourful, bubbly the brand is whilst still so focused on sustainability and her Granny’s ethos of  “making something beautiful from nothing and consciously addressing issues of over-consumerism” I feel is something we should all be inspired by.  She creates her designs by using upcycled materials and making use of the surplus, therefore creating little waste which we know is a massive problem within the fashion industry.  Her designs have blown up worldwide, from being stocked in stores to featuring on the pages of global fashion publications. Katie has created a community within her brand; she brings people together with all the same passions, whether it be art, knitting, sustainability, or more. This sense of community is further developed within her ‘make-it-yourself’ collection, where people can download designs to follow and create art and clothing from the comfort of their own home. By creating this collection, she’s sharing that ‘handmade’ feeling and giving people the opportunity to join in with her creativity.

Website: katiejonesknit.co.uk

Instagram: KatieJonesKnit

Greater Goods

Founded by Jaimus Tailor, this diverse brand focuses on creating recognition towards producing pieces out of reclaimed materials, and how recycling is so important in the current climate and by doing these things the future is amazing. Changing it up slightly, Jaimus doesn’t just create fashion items – he has also started translating his practicality into making woodwork and carpentry items, as well as textiles and clothing. However, taking it back to where it all started for Greater Goods, Jaimus decided to turn his beloved North Face jacket into something that could carry on its life with him and give it a whole new purpose. This was a tote bag. He learnt from his mistakes and you could say that his mistakes often created success, whether it be a new stitch, pattern or style. After sharing his first-ever tote bag creation online in 2018, he started to gain recognition, which has led to many collections and projects based around upcycling and making use of the unwanted. He is giving items a new life and a second chance, whilst being completely sustainable at the same time. At first, he used to search through websites and platforms such as Depop and eBay to buy people’s preloved Gore-Tex products, or he would be the first person his friends and family would give their old items, too. Now he is fortunate enough to have brands send him damaged or out of warranty products to create with. Each of his creations/Tote bags are different and unique, meaning nothings ever boring or dull within Greater Goods. 

Website: greater.goods.online

Instagram: Greater.Goods

These 3 amazing sustainable and upcoming fashion brands are perfect examples of how fun and easy creating sustainable clothing and fashion can be. They are 3 so different and diverse examples, however they all share the same ethos of upcycling the unwanted and ugly to create something edgy, wonderful and beautiful. Whether you find yourself looking at their websites and Instagram’s, or feeling inspired to be creative yourself, I hope in some way we can all adapt to make fashion more sustainable and ultimately more fun.


About Isobel

Hi, I’m Isobel Webster and I’m studying Fashion Image making and styling at Salford uni. Ever since high school I have had a passion for photography and the more I progressed the more I fell in love with Fashion photography. I enjoy being creative and learning something new. I feel heavily inspired by big artists and small independent creators as I like to think that one day hopefully I will be working in the industry I love. 

Find Isobel’s work on her Instagram: izzyw_photos

Go Green Salford – Week 3: Waste

We’re now in the third week of Go Green Salford! This week, we’ll help you finds new ways of reducing waste, whether it’s from your wardrobe, your bathroom, or your street.

Sign up for one of our upcoming events:

Wednesday 17/03, 13:00-13:45

Shopping From Your Wardrobe with Jessica Janvier

An online talk on sustainable fashion and building a green wardrobe with a Jessica Janvier – a Fashion Image Making and Styling student at the University of Salford.

Read more and book here: https://bit.ly/2NmHXH8 

Thursday 18/03, 13:00-13:30

Single Plastic Free UoS

This event will be the launch of our campaign to eliminate avoidable single use plastics from the University of Salford.

Read more and book here: https://bit.ly/3tdFTAm 

Friday 19/03, 13:00-14:00

Sustainable Period Products with Hey Girls

An online talk about social and environmental sustainability of menstrual products, and the benefits of going plastic free. We’ll be joined by Kirsten from Hey Girls, a social enterprise working to tackle period poverty. We’ll also provide information on when and where reusable Hey Girls products will be available at our University.

Read more and book here:  https://bit.ly/3ctLFap 

Friday 19/03, 17:00-18:00

Sustainable Fashion – Upcycling Workshop with Beth Duncan

Join Beth Duncan, a Fashion Image Making and Styling student at the University of Salford, as she demonstrates how to upcycle clothes instead of throwing them away.

Read more and book here: https://bit.ly/2OQWJ9w 


You can also get involved by joining our challenge! Complete the activities on our social media channels, and share them with us on social media by tagging #GoGreenSalford. You can also send us pictures via email. Throughout the week we’ll share useful resources which will help you take part in the challenge.

Please only share pictures you are happy to be re-shared on the University of Salford Environmental Sustainability Team social media. Please also note that if you’ve got a private account on Twitter or Instagram, we won’t be able to see them – but you can instead send us the pictures, and we’ll share them.

My World – by Jessica Janvier

This is my world. Our world needs to change.

Being in Lockdown, we have all been forced to look at our surroundings and notice what our environment looks like. I personally have been saved by my environment. Due to living in the countryside, I have felt like I can go for my daily exercise – a walk, and feel the fresh air and the free space around me as I walk through the fields of my world; helping me to clear my head when I needed it most.

A huge love and passion of mine is fashion. I love everything about it from the clothes, the shopping experiences, the editorial segments in the magazines, the craftsmanship, the art, catwalks and fashion weeks; everything. However, one thing that concerns me is when my world and my passion collide, fashion will ruin my world.

Landfill sights will look for new locations to expand to and there’s no room in the big cities, the only location that has enough space and is out of sight are the countrysides. Fashion is already the second biggest polluter in our world. I don’t want it to be a destroyer of mine.

As much as 20% to 35% of all primary source microplastics in the marine environment are from synthetic clothing, according to academic estimates.

By 2030, it’s expected that there will be 148 million tons of fashion waste.

Under 1% of the material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing at the end of its life.

Extending the life of clothing by an extra nine months could reduce carbon, waste and water footprints by around 20–30% each.

Worldwide clothing utilization has dropped by 36% compared to how much we used our clothes 15 years ago.

Source: Ecothes

I don’t know about you, but I want my world to be as beautiful as I remember it going into my near and far future. Our world needs to feel our love again, to feel our connection and respect that we once had for our surroundings. A place we call home, a place we live, we need to love again. I want to prevent the landfill expanding and take responsibility for my fashion waste contribution. You can, too – let’s do this together.


To hear more from Jessica about finding balance between fashion and sustainability, register here for our online event tomorrow at 13:00 – Go Green Salford: Shopping From Your Wardrobe.

About Jessica

My name is Jessica Janvier and I am a Fashion Image Making and Stylist student, here at the University of Salford. I am a fashion Photographer with a passion for sustainability within fashion, particularly fashion waste and CO2 emissions. I practice shopping more sustainable within my consumption and reusing the clothes I already have. I tend to shop from my family’s wardrobe more than online. I have my own YouTube channel exploring different ways to style an outfit from your own wardrobe or family and friends, I find inspiration from celebrities or trends but always making them my own with what I already have. I have my own fashion Instagram account creating content. I am trying to challenge myself to create outfits from the clothes I already have rather than buying into the ‘influencer’ lifestyle of buying for the sake of an Instagram photo. I am surrounded by nature and would hate for it to die because of the CO2, or be taken over by landfill from fashion waste. This is my act of preventing this from happening but still enjoying my love for fashion.

Instagram: @nu_ovo_

YouTube: Jessica Janvier

11 simple ways to reduce your food waste

Food waste impacts our planet, society, and the economy: it drives climate change, threatens global food security, and it’s costly to manage. Because of this, it’s currently one of the main enemies to sustainability.

Fortunately, while wasting food is harmful, it can also be easy to avoid! To support the Food Waste Action Week, and to help you make the most of it, we’ve put together a list of 11 simple ways to achieve this.

Shop smart

Buying more than you need is the first step towards wasting food, before even reaching the kitchen. To avoid this, make a list of all the ‘essentials’ – a base of products that you always need to have on hand. Before going grocery shopping, check what you need against this list, and add any extras (ingredients for a special recipe, snacks, etc.). This method will help you avoid wandering between the shelves, trying to remember what you wanted to buy. And if you don’t have time to make a list, take some quick pictures of your fridge and cupboards and use them as a guide. Here you can find more advice for making shopping lists. Another tip is choosing small and frequent trips instead of buying everything in bulk. This way, you only buy what you need, and you can also eat fresh produce more often, without worrying about it perishing. Lastly – never shop hungry to avoid loading your cart with what you don’t need.

Buy “ugly” fruit and veggies

The less visually appealing produce is often left behind and wasted in shops, even despite being perfectly safe to eat. In fact, to stop this from happening, many supermarkets, such as Aldi and Tesco, started selling their “wonky” produce at reduced prices in an attempt to cut down food waste. Look for these the next time you’re shopping for potatoes or carrots.

Make it last

Once the food is in your kitchen, make sure you store it correctly – use this guide by Love Food Hate Waste to learn how. Also, check out their Chill The Fridge Out tool to make sure that you’re keeping your foods at the right temperature. Another great way of making food last is through preservation methods, such as fermenting – see this guide to learn the basics of this process.

FIFO

“First In, First Out”. It’s a standard practice in shops and restaurants – and it’s also a great system to follow at home! The basic principle is that foods which have been stored the longest, need to be eaten first. This rotation method helps make sure that all products are used up before expiring.

Organize your fridge

Keeping your fridge free of dirt and clutter makes it easier to clearly see what foods you have. It will also help you implement the FIFO system. Plus, a dirty fridge can contaminate your food and make you ill!

Freeze it

This is the quickest and most versatile way of extending the shelf-life of products. It’s especially useful for the most wasted food in the UK – bread. Whenever you buy a loaf, slice up and freeze half; only take it out when you use up the rest. You can put slices straight from the freezer to the toaster – they will taste the same as your regular toast! Ice cube trays can also come in handy: you can use them to freeze leftover milk (one ice cube is a perfect amount for a cup of tea!) and herbs (chop them up, put them in the tray with some oil, and then throw them on the pan the next time you’re cooking).

Learn the language

Understanding food date labels is key to avoid unnecessary food waste. In short, the ’Use By’ label is used to mark the date by which the food needs to be eaten to be safe. ‘Best Before’ is about quality – after this date, the product might become less appealing, but it can still be eaten. Read this quick guide by Love Food Hate Waste to learn more.

Know your portions

Preparing too much food can result in overeating, wasting money, and waste. Use this portion planner to learn how much food is enough for the number of meals or people you’re cooking for. Once you know how much of a product to use, you can avoid cooking too much of it the next time.

Eat leftovers

Using your leftovers is not only a great way to reduce your food waste, but also a good opportunity to learn to cook something new! Love Food Hate Waste have lots of recipes to help you out – you can find them all here.

Use it up

There are at least three simple ways of using up all parts of products which you don’t want to eat whole. The first one is blending – make smoothies or creamy soups and throw in ends of carrots and strawberries, or stems of kale and broccoli. The second is making stock – sauté with oil your scraps from chopping and peeling, then add some water and simmer to make stock. Finally, you can also roast peels from veggies such as carrots and potatoes to make a delicious side dish!

Compost the rest

Some food waste might be especially difficult to avoid – we’re talking about egg shells or certain fruit peels. The good news is that we can still make sure that these don’t end up in general waste – by composting! Here you can find some practical information on why and how to start composting at home. And if you don’t have a garden, don’t worry! Read here about tabletop composting.

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What are your favourite ways to avoid food waste? Share them with us on social media and tag #GoGreenSalford to take part in our challenge! It runs all the way until April 22nd, so there’s also plenty of time to try out some of these tips!

Please only share pictures you are happy to be re-shared on the University of Salford Environmental Sustainability Team social media. Please also note that if you’ve got a private account on Twitter or Instagram, we won’t be able to see them – but you can instead send us the pictures, and we’ll share them.

Source: Love Food Hate Waste / WRAP UK

Earth-friendly recipe inspirations

Today is the first day of Go Green Salford! 

It’s also the beginning of the Food Waste Action Week, so that’s exactly what this week is all about – food: how to make it, how it affects the planet, and how to stop wasting it. 

According to WRAP’s advice on sustainable eating, pulses, grains and vegetables are the cornerstones of a sustainable diet. To help everyone make their meals more Earth-friendly, we’ve put together a list of resources where you can find lots of vegetarian and vegan recipes and inspirations for all kinds of occasions – from quick lunches to indulgent desserts. 

Healthy Living with James

James Wythe is a qualified Health Coach who creates simple and healthy recipes. On his websites and social media you can find ideas for meals suitable for vegans, vegetarians, and people with allergies and food intolerances. His inspirations come from his own journey to a healthy life. 

Full day menu ideas: 

Breakfast – Mighty Mushrooms on Toast

Lunch – 10-minute Spicy Pasta

Dinner – Sweet Potato & Chickpea Curry

Dessert – Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Max La Manna – Zero Waste (Vegan) Chef

Max creates simple but innovative recipes with sustainability at heart. He made it his mission to help others avoid wasting food, by reframing the way we think about our leftovers. Apart from recipes, on his website and social media you can also find great zero waste food tips.

Full day menu ideas: 

Breakfast – Chickpea Whip Granola

Lunch – ‘I Have Nothing In My Fridge’ Stir-Fry

Dinner – Meatless Mushroom Meatballs

Dessert: Vegan Apple Crisp

Pick Up Limes

Pick Up Limes is run by Sadia, a Canadian dietician living in the Netherlands. Her recipes can be summarized in three words: plant-based, nourishing, simple. Apart from food inspirations, she also shares useful resources on wellbeing, vegan nutrition, and food prep hacks. 

Full day menu ideas: 

Breakfast – Baked Berry & Pecan Oatmeal

Lunch – Spicy Garlic Tofu

Dinner – Sun-dried Tomato & Roasted Vegetable Tart

Dessert – Ooey-Gooey Cinnamon Buns

Friends of the Earth

Friends of the Earth are a community with a mission to improve the wellbeing of our planet and everyone on it. They lead campaigns and provide resources to encourage everyone to do their part in creating a sustainable world. As part of this effort, they put together a list of simple and cheap vegetarian recipes.

Full day menu ideas: 

Breakfast – Vegetarian Scrambled Eggs

Lunch – Vegan Bean & Vegetable Stew with Herb Dumplings

Dinner – Gluten-free Vegetarian Lasagna

Dessert – Vegan Fig and Apple Pudding

Connoisseurus Veg

Connoisseurus Veg is a blog run by Alissa, who started it in 2013 with the aim of inspiring others to share her passion for cooking. Her recipes are a plant-based mix of healthy and indulgent.

Full day menu ideas: 

Breakfast – Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Lunch – Easy Tempura Vegetables

Dinner – The Ultimate Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Dessert – Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

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We hope you find these helpful! We’d love to see your creations, so please share them with us using the hashtag #GoGreenSalford. This way, you can also take part in our challenge, at the end of which you can win a sustainable prize! You can read all about it on our social media.

Please only share pictures you are happy to be re-shared on the University of Salford Environmental Sustainability Team social media. Please also note that if you’ve got a private account on Twitter or Instagram, we won’t be able to see them – but you can instead send us the pictures, and we’ll share them.

Photo credit: Healthy Living with James Facebook, Max La Manna Facebook, Pick Up Limes website, Friends of the Earth Website, Connoisseurus Veg Facebook.

Go Green Salford 2021

Go Green Salford is back for another year on Monday!

Between March 1st – 28th, join us for four weeks of online events and resources, following four themes: food, green space, climate and waste. 

Throughout the month, we’ll also share information about other events happening across Manchester and Salford which you may want to take part in.

Week 1: Food 

1 – 7 March  

We’ll start off with everyone’s favourite subject – food!  

We’ll be sharing lots of useful resources on climate-friendly cooking, recipe ideas, and simple ways to reduce food waste. 

This week we will continue sharing events and resource of the Fairtrade Fortnight as it enters its second week. Monday will also mark the launch of the UK’s first ever Food Waste Action Week organized as part of the national Love Food Hate Waste campaign. You can read more about it here, further details will be revealed on Monday. 

Week 2: Green spaces 

8 – 14 March 

This week will be all about the green. We’ll take a close look at our local natural resources, focusing on our beautiful neighbour, Peel Park. We’ll also cover the importance and benefits of spending time in nature, and of urban biodiversity (including a film screening and an online talk – stay tuned, details coming soon!). 

Throughout the whole month, we’ll also be sharing cycling-related tips and resources as part of the Ride It Out challenge (read more here), so that you can make the most out of the local green spaces and the beginning of spring weather! 

Week 3: Waste 

15 – 21 March 

During this week, we’ll focus on some of the main enemies of sustainability: single use plastics, fast fashion, and digital waste. We’ll also share tips on ‘zero waste’ living, and cover the topic of sustainable menstrual products. 

In addition, we’ll be sharing information about the Global Recycling Day which will take place on March 18th. 

Week 4: Climate 

22 – 28 March 

The last week of Go Green Salford 2021 will be dedicated to climate, with the main goal of making the broad and complex subject of climate science more digestible and familiar. We’ll also speak about climate justice and give tips on how to support the fight against climate change with everyday ways of reducing individual carbon footprint. 

We’ll also encourage our community to participate in this year’s Earth Hour, on March 27th.  

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There will also be a chance for everyone to get actively involved! More details coming soon on how to enter a challenge which will run throughout the month, with a sustainable prize draw at the end.

Details and links to events will be shared on our social media: 

For each theme, we’ll also put together a list of resources including books, websites, etc., which you can use to learn more about each topic. 

If you’d like to get involved, or if you hear about any external activities and events we can share, please get in touch with Marta at m.a.strzelecka1@salford.ac.uk

Photo credit: Katie Smith, Mike Benna, Gary Chan and Thomas Park on Unsplash.

Welcome to the Environmental Sustainability Team, Marta!

We are pleased to welcome our new team member, Marta Strzelecka to our team.

Photo of Marta

As our Environmental Management Coordinator, Marta leads on our environmental communication and engagement as well as our green campus and single use plastic commitments. She will also be instrumental in the continual improvement of our Environmental and Energy Management System.

We are particularly pleased that Marta is one of our own! She recently graduated with a master’s in Environmental Assessment and Management from the University of Salford. She also has a background in business management from MMU.

Marta is passionate about environmental protection particularly climate science, ecology and waste reduction. Outside work you’ll find her cooking, reading or spending time in nature, preferably at the same time!

As a student, Marta volunteered with our Green Impact programme and did project work on the University Environmental and Energy Management System so she has hit the ground running and we are excited for her contribution to our team!

Cycle to Work Day 2020

Staff and students: join others interested in cycling in our Bicycle User Group Teams site.

On Thursday 6th August we can’t do our usual Cycle to Work Day photo competition or offer free breakfasts for cyclists this year, but we want to use the day to raise awareness of the University’s new Cycle to Work scheme for staff, that launched in July.  

You can also take part in the official Cycle to Work Day competition (by cycling anywhere!) – find out more on their website.

As colleagues begin to return to campus, choosing to cycle is a great way to improve health and fitness and take positive action to be more sustainable.

With the scheme, you could save at least 32% on a range of bikes and accessories up to £2000, a higher limit than our previous scheme. The value of the bike and safety equipment are spread across a period of 12 months; this is commonly known as a salary sacrifice as each month a payment will be deducted from your gross salary. This element of salary will not have Tax or National Insurance applied to it, making this a tax-free benefit.

The scheme is available to most staff (see FAQs for details) and you can use a wide range of independent stores along with Halfords and Tredz Bikes.

Find out more on the Hub article for staff and on the FAQs. To apply, visit the Cycle to Work section on My Salford.