Electricity

Switch off the lights and use natural light.

Turn off electrical equipment when not in use and avoid using rest mode or standby on computers or games consoles.

Cook in bulk and share with others, take turns to cook for each other.

Do not leave fridge/freezer doors open.

Cook with a lid on your pan; it will save you time as well.

Remember certain items aren't allowed in rooms like fans, heaters etc, as mentioned in your online Life in Halls Handbook. If you have heating problems, you should report the fault.

Find more top tips on saving electricity here.

The University of Warwick runs cut the flowLink opens in a new window - a competition between halls of residences to save the most electricity and water each term.

Work with your flatmates/blocks to reduce your environmental impact and be in with the chance to win prizes each term. Winners are calculated by comparing your energy use to those who lived in your block in previous years. Small changes make a big difference, not just in your halls but across campus and beyond.

Water

When using the kettle, only boil as much water as you need to- it will save you time!

Take short showers (1 minute less will save 12 litres) and have showers instead of baths. Turn off showers when washing and applying shampoo

Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth

Use the dual flush function if your toilet has it

The cold water in halls is safe to drink and cook with straight from the tap, so there is no need to spend time and energy boiling it, or money and plastic buying bottled water

Report dripping taps or constantly flushing toilets to the accommodation teams

Only flush the 3 Ps (Pee, Poo and Paper) – do not flush sanitary items, make-up wipes, or any other items; make use of bins provided and put cool fats/oils in used bottles/containers before putting them in the non-recycling bin. All these items can cause drains to block; most have plastic in them and do not break down

Wash up using a bowl or with a plug in the sink, instead of under running water

Refill points for water bottles are located across campus and can easily be found using the City to Sea CIC ‘RefillLink opens in a new window' app

Remember using hot water isn’t just using water, it is burning gas to make the water hot

Find more top tips on saving water here. 

Waste and Recycling

The subject of bins may seem quite trivial but unless you segregate your waste correctly, all your hard work will be wasted. It is important to ensure that you put the correct items in the correct bin. Incorrect items in the recycling can lead to that bag not being recycled. Please follow the signage provided.

We will provide you with rubbish bags, but it is up to you and your flatmates to empty the bins; you need to tie the tops and take them to the waste collection point. Making a bin rota with flatmates helps ensure this task is divided equally between flat members. It is important to always use the correct colour bag; green bags are for recycling and clear bags are for non-recycling. Ensure you put the correct bags in the correct bin.

Recycling areas and charity donation points for heavier or special items (books, clothes etc.) are located close to all halls of residence.

You will also find a Sharps Bin in your shared kitchen for you to place any broken glass, broken crockery, and any other sharp objects. Please do not put sharp items in normal bins.

Make use of the Waste Hierarchy – Prevent, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and think circular economy – can you upcycle things instead of buying new? For more information about recycling and an A-Z of what can be recycled and where to recycle it visit www.warwick.ac.uk/recycling.

Help reduce litter on campus by signing up to one-hour, monthly Warwick Wombles Litter Picks which help protect local biodiversity too.

Food

A lot of edible food is wasted every year. Please think about how much food you need per week and plan your meals to reduce food waste. Altering your diet is one of the (if not THE) biggest thing an individual can do to reduce their carbon footprint i.e. reduce meat consumption (particularly red meat), even if it’s only following #MeatFreeMonday. You should also ensure you know the difference between the display by, sell by, use by and best before labels on food items.

Food that cannot be eaten before end of term should be donated to local charities (there is a collection point at Rootes Grocery Store) or can be collected by RAWKUS (please consider volunteering to support these collections).

The University works hard to reduce its food waste, and along with the Students Union, Conference Centres, and an increasing number of other locations on campus, we send used food and cooking waste to Anaerobic Digestion where it is turned into energy. However, at present we are unable to do this for Residential areas, another reason to ensure you’re getting your money’s worth from the food you do buy!

For hints and tips on recipes and the best way to store your food look at Love Food Hate Waste. You can also make use of the Too Good To Go app on and off campus to help reduce food waste and save money and the Olio App to share food with other students on campus.

Buying items

Think before you buy. Overconsumption is currently having a detrimental effect on our environment. Before purchasing anything, including your kitchenware or clothing (fast fashion is currently one of the largest causes of greenhouse emissions), please consider our top tips:

Only order what you really need – can items be fixed/reused/upcycled. For example, we run a reStore event which is a repair café where you can bring broken items and get them fixed, for free

Shop second hand e.g. charity shops, get involved in Swap Shop (a clothes swapping event) and Pop Swap (an event on Tuesdays where you can swap pop outfits ahead of circling on a Wednesday)

Buy local and seasonal products

Buy university essentials, such as kitchenware, through our Pay As You Feel Sale, happening 21^st-26^th September in the Junction, where you can get second hand goods e.g. saucepans, cutlery

Consolidate your orders and have fewer deliveries to reduce the emissions associated with transport

Look for packaging that can be reused or recycled

If items require batteries, use rechargeable batteries

Can you switch to reusable products? E.g. safety razors, reusable bags, reusable coffee cups etc.

Shop zero waste e.g. there is a zero waste shop in the SU and shops in surrounding areas, such as Zero in Leamington Spa and Stratford Upon Avon

Don’t purchase multiple items just to send some of them back

Transport

We are proud to have worked with Transport for West Midlands on a collaborative project called “Choose Your Way Warwick” to trial and develop sustainable transport. Our campus is becoming a living lab, so we can test out new mobility ideas, approaches and technologies that will help to address the climate emergency. The project includes:

Trialling new mobility ideas, approaches and technologies that will reduce car emissions.

Testing the concept of Mobility Hubs to facilitate Mobility as a Service (MaaS).

Helping inform how we can enable our campus, local and ultimately worldwide communities to be cleaner, more sustainable and lead healthier lives.

Helping to address the climate emergency.

Choose Your Way Warwick is a behavioural change programme available through an app designed to reward you for using sustainable transport modes when travelling to, from and around the University. Examples of sustainable transport modes available at the University include but is not limited to:

Cycling

There are many cycle routes that enable you to travel to, from and around the University. If you don’t have a bike, you can use the West Midlands Cycle Hire scheme (WMCH) to hire a normal bike or e-bike. You can also use the WMCH bikes to travel off campus to Coventry and the wider region.

Demand response transport (DRT)

Is a new service called “West Midlands Bus On-demand”, which is a type of bus service that doesn’t follow a specific route and timetable, but instead you book a ride and a minibus will pick you up from your chosen location and transport you to your destination.

Subsidised bus service

We have a partnership agreement with National Express to operate a subsidised bus service (No. 14) connecting the University with Coventry City Centre via Cannon Park shops, Tile Hill railway station and Eastern Green. All University staff and students can travel on this bus service for a reduced fare of £1.

Find out more

To learn more about the “Choose Your Way Warwick” programme or to register for any of the above services visit http://www.warwick.ac.uk/chooseyourway.