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Sustainability

As the end of the year approaches, many of us will ponder on which New Year’s resolution to adopt. 2019 has been designated the year of Green Action by the UK government so why not join in the national effort and make your New Year’s resolution a sustainable one.

Resolutions that we can easily stick to are sometimes difficult to identify. Here’s our top 10 sustainable-themed New Year’s resolution ideas to see you into a greener and impactful 2019!

Figure 1: Refill station at Greenwich House Cafe

  1. Commit to not using any disposable plastic cups or bottles. ‘Single-use’ was Collin’s Dictionary’s word of the year, with many campaigns and news articles focusing on this topic in 2018. With many outlets now offering ‘KeepCup’ discounts (the University Catering Service has provided 96,000 re-usable cup discounts in the last 4 years), and many great reusable bottle options on the market, there’s never been a better time to take up this action and help prevent the many millions of bottles from ending up in the ground or in the sea every year. You can use either the Refill app to identify local businesses who will let you fill up your bottle for free on their premises or you can go to any University Catering Service outlets (figure 1).
  2. Go paper-free. With tablets and mobiles now commonplace, there’s no longer a need to print so much. Why not commit to no unnecessary printing or paper use as your resolution this year? At home, you can contact your utilities and banks to ask for ‘paper-free’ billing that will help you be more organised in your records, and at work you can ensure that your printer is set to double-sided low-ink mode for those essential prints, replace lecture handouts for students in your department with downloadable versions, or commit with your colleagues to displaying agendas and minutes on a screen in meetings.
  3. Take part in Veganuary. The University’s Sustainable Food Policy has won multiple awards for its approach to providing and promoting tastier plant-based options instead of meat-based meals. The livestock industry results in 20-50% of global carbon emissions (greater than all transport!) and is the leading cause of global species loss. Cutting down on your meat intake is therefore one of the biggest ways to reduce your environmental footprint. Veganuary is one established national campaign encouraging people to try a vegan diet in the month of January. If you are curious to find out more about the environmental impact of all our diets, you can use this handy calculator developed by the BBC.
  4. Switch off unnecessary equipment. While ideally we all switch off equipment such as PCs, laptops, screens and meeting room lights before leaving the office or going home for the day, there’s plenty of times when we might forget! Committing to remember to switch off all your equipment when not in use is a simple action to take, and in just a few days you’ll have developed an energy-saving long-term habit that’s good for the planet!
  5. Get your bike in working order. Cycling is a convenient and easy way to get around Cambridge and its surrounds. Many of us will leave the bike in the garage or shed during the colder darker months, or leave it gathering dust if it develops a fault. Why not take your bike to a bike shop or book a place on one of the University’s bike maintenance workshops to do it yourself, and learn a new skill.
  6. Change what you buy. After the shopping excesses of the Christmas period, many of us are after a detox from the shops! However there’s sure to be a few essentials you need. So why not commit to only buying reused, recycled or sustainably-sourced items, visit charity shops for second hand items, or use an ethical online retailer?
  7. Support and enjoy nature. In the cold winter months we often won’t be heading outside, and many animals will be hibernating too! However, for your New Year’s resolution, why not think about simple actions to support wildlife? Whether it’s making your garden hedgehog-friendly, putting up a bird-feeder, or planting bee-friendly wildflower seeds, now is the time to prepare for spring!
  8. Turn the thermostat down. Turning the thermostat down by just one degree can save you big on your energy bills and on your carbon footprint! At work or home, dressing appropriately for the weather can ensure that buildings are heated appropriately. At home, if you’re struggling with leaky windows and doors, why not invest in some simple DIY energy-saving measures like draft-stripping, or thermal curtains?
  9. Cut down on travel. Already thinking about your travels in 2019? Aviation has a big impact on climate change, so why not consider a resolution to vacation in the UK this year, or take the train to Europe! At work, there’s plenty of teleconference options available to help cut down on travel to meetings and conferences too.
  10. Make your wardrobe wonderful. In November of this year a local charity, Cambridge Carbon Footprint, hosted the city’s first Sustainable Fashion Festival. We went along and learned about the negative environmental impact of fast fashion and we also picked up tips on the many ways we can improve the sustainability of our wardrobe. We can all make a difference by caring for our clothes and by using the services of sustainable fashion trailblazers based right here in Cambridge.

Figure 2: A handbag made from waste seatbelts

For some added accountability we are asking staff and students to share their pledge on social media tagging us @Cambridgesust using #YearofGreenAction. We will also contact departmental Environment and Energy Coordinators to help them to provide the support that staff need to fulfil their resolutions. If you have any other sustainable resolutions that you would like to recommend, please get in touch.

Together we can make 2019 the Year of Green Action.