Case Studies

1
Case Studies

• EAUC-Scotland
• Campus Sustainability Programme
• 21 November 2007

2
OC wanted to recycle more and ultimately reduce
the number of 1200litre bins from 4 to 3
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What was done

• Set up working group
• Senior management support
• Engaged with CaSPr
• Envirowise audit
• Meetings with local authority
• Proposal to management group
• Staff workshops
• Developed posters with SWAG
• Implemented recycling (staff and students)

4
Issues

• Using the right bins
• Locating bins based on use
• Lack of time to invest in project
• Local authority procedures changes to cleaning
  contract
• Lack of money
• Lack of time to attend events
• Majority of events not relevant to small rural
  colleges

5
Lessons learned

• Important to engage with staff as early as
  possible
• People have been more supportive than anticipated
  particularly as staff and students have to take
  material to central collection points

6
Other Institutions
Shetland FE College and Fisheries College have
had a environmental/waste audit undertaken by the
Council and the SIC have delivered CIWM training.
Elmwood College have been composting for 15
years, diverting 8 skips (800) from landfill per
year. This excludes savings from buying in
compost.
Moray College are investigating the potential for
large-scale in-vessel composting to reduce the
amount of compostable material disposed of to
landfill and provide them with compost to use
around the college.
University of St Andrews set up a compulsory
recycling scheme for all staff and students in
all buildings. They achieved savings of 100 per
annum and diverted 22 (1137 tonnes) of waste
from landfill in first year.
The University of Aberdeen diverted 6 tonnes of
furniture waste from landfill by working with
Creative Waste Exchange

• The University of Edinburgh uses a private
  contractor to collect mixed material for
  recycling.

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A Sustainable College
Ref A sustainable college should be
1 Reducing, re-using and recycling wherever possible
2 Generating their own alternative energy renewable, bio-fuel, biomass etc
3 Energy efficient - lights on until 10pm every night. Maintenance
4 Including environmental and social issues in purchasing decisions (products and services)
5 Using alternative fuel sources for fleet vehicles such as Bio-diesel
6 Changing working hours to reduce travel (e.g. work from home/flexible working hours)
7 Composting
8 Providing education on sustainable development for business
9 Purchasing as much green energy from their electricity supplier as possible
10 Using resources as efficiently as possible only using what is needed
11 Educating staff, students and community on individual responsibilities associated with reducing environmental impact and encouraging sustainable development
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A sustainable college continued

• Research into sustainable technologies
• Incorporating Sustainable development in
  corporate strategy
• Monitoring and reporting on performance -
  management systems
• Supporting communities in developing countries
• Challenging different perspectives
• Incorporating environmental and social costs in
  financial planning
• Reducing environmental footprint / impact
• Sustainable design and construction
• Biodiversity
• More use of video conferencing

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Next steps

• Refer to EAUC waste management guide
  (www.eaucwasteguide.org.uk)
• Identify responsibilities for waste within
  institution
• Establish costs and consumption levels for waste
• Establish any waste minimisation projects being
  undertaken
• Contact CaSPr Programme managers for advice or
  strategic partners
• Participate in the Sustainability Baseline
  Review
• Sign up for future CaSPr events