Wednesday 23-05-2018 - 12:20

Here’s what we are going to do to combat single use plastics

Up to 12 million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean every year, taking centuries to degrade and killing wildlife.  Lancaster University Students’ Union Executive recently passed a policy that lays out how we are going to do our bit to combat single use plastic. This year we aimed to make Roses as green as we could by providing reusable bottle, removing all single use plastic from the supporters packs and cutting down on the amount of printed promotional material.

Union President, Josh Woolf who implemented the policy has said, “It’s our responsibility, not just the union and university but everyone to ensure we do what we can to cut down significantly on the amount of single use plastic we use. By introducing small changes in the way we do things we can make a huge impact this policy aims to insure the union remains committed to making these changes.”

Josh has lobbied the university to get water refill stations on campus and one is currently being trialled in the Learning Zone. Sugarhouse is moving to biodegradable straws and Central has moved to paper bags for fresh fruit and veg and is looking at more ways to reduce plastic waste.

We know there is some way to go but here are some of the first steps we’ll be taking:

1. To raise awareness of plastic pollution and ways in which our members can reduce their personal pollution. This will include, but not be limited to:

1.1. Use of re-usable alternatives, including bottles and bags,

1.2. Existence of eco-friendly plastic alternatives,

1.3. Recycling of single use plastics, as well as other recyclables.

2. To lobby the University to increase the number of recycling points around campus.

3. To lobby for bottle filling stations around campus.

4. To reduce the use of single use plastic in all Union and subsidiary operations and campaigns wherever financially viable, through the use of alternative materials.

5. To investigate the viability of removing single use plastic bottles, straws, and bags from its sales.

6. To offer environmentally sustainable alternatives to single use plastic bags in its retail operations.

7. Lobby the University to offer environmentally sustainable alternatives to single use plastic items.

Some of our volunteering away days will be working on cleaning up areas of Lancashire and Cumbria, you can find out more here.

You can read the full policy here and please feel free to make us aware of initiatives you know of that will help to make Lancaster as plastic free as possible.