INSIDE
OUR BIGGEST Semester 2 | Spring 2020
RECYCLING
CAMPAIGN YET
Get your dream placement through volunteering
TRAVEL
SUSTAINABLY
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The Newspaper for Community-Minded Bournemouth Students
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SUBU SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT
Welcome! Abidemi Abiodun SUBU VP Community A warm welcome to everyone. As you get to know your Students’ Union, you will see just how important sustainability is to everything we do. At SUBU we give students the opportunity to learn more about sustainability and gain volunteering experience while studying.
As with all our policies, we are guided by students and your views on global issues guide our day-today activities. We are committed to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; they are supported by all our campaigns and events. We are always running green and volunteering events but this time of year is when we really make a big deal of sustainability, to raise awareness and give some-
thing back to our community. Bournemouth University was recently ranked seventh globally for positive action on sustainable consumption; it is a great place to get involved with sustainability. And if you’re passionate about green issues, we can even help you run your own event or campaign! Come and chat to the sustainability team on the second floor of the Student Centre at any time. Join us today and make a difference!
Inside
Save the Earth 15
How to travel sustainably 4
Volunteering got me my dream placement 5
Eco-friendly festivals 16
Top tips 9
Meet your Wardens 6
Action on campus 10
Meet the SUBU Sustainability Team
Gillie Lewis
Community Partnerships Lead
Dawn Burridge
Sustainability and Volunteering Coordinator
subusustainability@bournemouth.ac.uk
Produced by SUBU Communications Designed by David Williams Students’ Union at Bournemouth University, The Student Centre, Bournemouth University Talbot Campus, Poole, BH12 5BB. www.subu.org.uk/sumedia@bournemouth.ac.uk With thanks to Callum Bailey, Hayley Butler, Shannon Butler, Joe Dixon, Shannon McDavitt, Vaishni Patel, Juan Ramirez, Alys Penfold, Annie Vencl and Eleanor Wills. Printed on 100% recycled wood-free pulp paper by Mortons Print, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 6JR.
A United Nations initiative, the Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They recognise that ending poverty must go handin-hand with strategies to build economic growth and address social needs including education, health, social protection and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection. The Goals are at the heart of everything we do at SUBU.
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SUBU SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT
Think green and win big Ideas can be as small or large as you like; if it has impact, we want to hear from you! If you’re already part of a sustainably-conscious society or group, why not sign up with your friends? Want to know more or apply? There are two launch events for the Challenge being held at BU: • Mon 10th Feb (14:00-15:00): EB203, Lansdowne Campus • Thu 13th Feb (14:00-15:00): K101, Talbot Campus
Eleanor Wills BU Sustainability Support Officer Got an idea with impact? Join the Bournemouth University and SUBU Think Green Sustainability Challenge and it could win you the £500 prize! The Sustainability Challenge invites you to create an idea that will make BU more environmentally or socially sustainable. Working in teams, you’ll develop ideas over four weeks before presenting to an panel of esteemed judges with the most innovative, best-researched and most-actionable idea taking home £500 for the team responsible. Plus all entrants will receive a certificate of entry which will look great on your CV! This is a great chance to: • Create an amazing sustainable project • Work across disciplines with like-minded students • Gain experience and transferable skills to impress future employers
Supported by Economic Development
Teams can receive support from a mentor and work with experts from across the university. Taking place on 18th March, the final is one of the headline events of Go Green Week (see p9)!
These events will be an opportunity to find out more about the Challenge, form a team if you haven’t already and get your ideas brewing! If you are interested or want to know more, get in touch with the BU Sustainability Team: sustainability @bournemouth.ac.uk. Applications are encouraged from students of all faculties and ages and close Friday 14th February.
FIND OUT MORE facebook.com/SUBU-BU-ResLifeSustainability-Challenge
Students tackling sustainability At SUBU there are over 100 clubs, societies and networks run by Bournemouth University students, many with a community focus.
Campus Collective
Annual Membership: £3
Extinction Rebellion Society
Annual Membership: £1
Reducetarian Society
Annual Membership: £1
Wildlife Conservation Society
Annual Membership: £2
And don’t forget you can also join your academic society! www.subu.org.uk/clubs
Get used to wildfires
Shannon Butler SUBU Communications Executive
The bush-fires in Australia have been raging since September.
Experts are now warning that humans could have to adapt to living with wildfires if the planet’s temperature continues to rise. A warming world has been the talk of activists for years, but recently we learned that if the planet were to get even one degree warmer, we would not be able to reverse the damage of global warming. Professor Richard Betts from the Met Office Hadley Centre said we are “seeing a sign of what would be normal conditions under a future warming world of 3° C.” Global temperatures have risen approximately 1° Celsius since the 1850s. Experts are now claiming that they could rise another 3° by the end of the century. This is of course due to high CO2 emissions. We are pushing ourselves towards our own extinction and it is time for everyone to do their bit. As SUBU has been promoting, you can donate to a number of charities: the Australian Red Cross, WIRES Emergency Fund for injured wildlife and New South Wales Rural Fire Service.
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SUBU SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT
Upcycle your life The road to zero-waste living Vaishni Patel In just one year, the UK alone produces a total of 31 million tonnes of waste - the same as 3.5 million double-decker buses. Though it can be overwhelming to think of the changes that need to happen, that we could make to cure our planet, we can all start by making little changes in our everyday lives to start on the road to a zero-waste lifestyle. For me, some changes have been really simple; I’ve swapped singleuse products for reusable ones (metal straws, stainless-steel bottle, bamboo coffee cup, tote bags)
but others have been more challenging. I wanted a denim skirt and rather than turning to fast fashion, I made mine by upcycling a pair of charity shop jeans. My sewing machine came free from Facebook Marketplace - one person’s trash is another’s treasure, right?! The average skirt costs £20. Mine cost £5 and a little research. The moral of the story: being sustainable doesn’t have to cost the Earth! Though my journey to zerowaste hasn’t always been easy, I can well and truly say that knowing I am playing a part in making a difference to our planet has made the changes completely worthwhile.
How to travel sustainably Shannon McDavitt Choosing where to stay when you are travelling can be a challenge as it is, let alone when you are looking for a plan with a low carbon footprint. With so many options it can be hard to decide which is the best fit - is there a more eco-friendly and sustainable way to travel?
The hostel also offers bicycle rental to get around the city – so no more car rentals. Hiring out bikes is an easy way to lower your carbon footprint as you travel and also a great way to explore the city. Bambu Gran Palas & Cenote (Tulum, Mexico) This sustainable choice uses its natural surroundings and integrates the environment into its structure; it is built with bamboo and coconut, making the hostel look as natural as possible without ruining its surroundings. Offering bicycles to their beach club and operating using solar energy, this hostel is a great way
Amsterdam, Holland
There are eco-friendly positives to using hostels over hotels and to top it all off there are hundreds of eco-friendly hostels around the world to suit the environmentally-conscious traveller. Ecomama (Amsterdam) Ecomama is all about sustainable living, using ecological water systems and cradle-to-cradle (C2C) furniture to minimise waste. The hostel also has a range of rooms that vary in sizes and privacy. Sharing a room with other travellers is not only minimises your carbon footprint but is also a great way to meet new friends. JETpak Ecolodge (Berlin) At this ecolodge, 100% of the energy used comes from renewable sources and is heated with a wood zero-emissions system.
Tulum, Mexico
Gili Meno, Indonesia
to keep your carbon footprint low while living in the luxury of the natural infrastructure. Sleep Well Hostel (Brussels) This youth hostel is eco-friendly and right in the city centre. It uses sustainable supplies to promote a
greener way of life – which includes their electricity being 100% green. If you are looking for a green city break, this Sleep Well hostel is ideal, with it also participating in the European Waste Reduction Week every year that residents can get involved with. Gili Meno Eco Hostel (Gili Meno, Indonesia) The showers at this Indonesian hostel are made with bamboo, and they aren’t the only thing made from this material – the rooms are literally made with bamboo too. Similar to the Bambu Gran Palas, the structure of these rooms matches the surroundings, making it a perfect traveller get away!
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SUBU SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT
How volunteering helped me get my dream placement Annie Vencl Last year I volunteered with Bournemouth Parks Foundation through SUBU. The Foundation is about making parks more sustainable and more viable in the future and getting people from outside involved with parks. I knew the Students’ Union had a volunteering section so I went onto the website and looked at all the volunteering opportunities. I picked marketing and communications as my volunteering role. I went in once a week as a marketing assistant and my duties included updating social media, creating content for posts, grant applications and then a bit of design work as well. It was all about creating marketing opportunities. I really enjoyed going to a session called “Parks in Mind” that Bourne-
mouth Parks Foundation run. It’s a gardening eco-therapy group that was about meeting people while gardening, all while sustaining the local parks. I went along to a couple of these sessions to write blog posts about them and I really enjoyed getting outside instead of sitting in my office, connect with new people and appreciate what is out and about in our parks. As a result of my time with Bournemouth Parks Foundation, I managed to secure a placement for this year through the Association of Children and Adolescent Mental Health in London. Without my volunteering through SUBU I wouldn’t have had any experience and I would definitely not have landed my placement. Volunteering shows you care about something and you are engaged. If you are applying to work in a charity or
you want to gain some skills and you haven’t volunteered I don’t think you would look as dedicated or like you really cared so I am certain that’s what got me my placement. Volunteering is really rewarding. Even if sometimes you are feeling a bit stressed and don’t really have time for volunteering, people really appreciate the work that you do
for the charity. Mine worked out really well and enabled me to get my placement and give me more marketable skills. The opportunities through SUBU are so diverse that I have been involved with beach cleans as well as longer term opportunities like Bournemouth Parks Foundation. Find your perfect opportunity: www.subu.org.uk/volunteer
BU carbon neutral by 2030 Dr Neil Smith BU Sustainability Manager Everyone should be well aware of the need for a global response to the crisis facing our planet. Here at BU we have been doing our bit by reducing our carbon footprint by 45% compared to the baseline in 2005/06, despite a significant increase in the size of the estate and the number of staff and students who work and study here. This is a tremendous achievement but we know more needs to
be done to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. We have started work on our third carbon management plan, with a proposed target to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. This will require continued investment in our estate and all of us to play our part by adopting more sustainable behaviours. Look out for your chance to help shape the new Plan when we consult with students on what we all need to do to make sure we achieve this target.
Tackling period poverty sustainably at SUBU Joanna Ann SUBU VP Welfare & Equal Opportunities The Comfort and Care campaign provides Bournemouth students and staff with free sustainable sanitary products if you are in need. Since SUBU President Ade Balogun and I launched the campaign at Green Day in October, we have been promoting sustainable periods. All the products use minimal to no plastic and are partly supplied by the Redbox Project. I am looking at linking Street Support, SUBU’s chosen charity for this year, to period poverty, includ-
ing working with the Redbox Project charity to provide free sanitary products to those in need. We hope to provide donation hubs in the new BU Bournemouth Gateway building and appoint student ambassadors to distribute these donations to Street Support. Have you switched to being more sustainable but still have sanitary products using plastic lying around? In the interest of sustainability, we would be grateful if these were kindly donated to help others. To donate, feel free to come and find me on the first floor of the Student Centre or email me: suvpwelfare@bournemouth.ac.uk
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SUBU SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT
Who are the Community Wardens? Callum Bailey The SUBU Community Wardens serve as a link between the student residents and regular residents in the area. We have many different roles, but the most important is being an ear for the community. We go door-to-door and talk to residents about anything they feel needs to be addressed. While we’re walking around, we see many issues that affect the area near Bournemouth University, and chief among these is dustbin and waste management. Often student residents are living away from home for the first time and might not realise what responsible waste management means. Where there is an issue, the signs are obvious. The council will not
take overflowing bins or ones that contain the wrong type of waste. Obviously, this will compound the issue as there will be new waste generated and now there is nowhere to put it, so it invariably builds up next to the dustbin. The education for this falls to the Wardens, and the best way to help is to approach the house in question to give advice. If there is no-one in, we will make a note of the address and visit again over the next few days to try and reach someone. We put leaflets through the letterbox that explains everything but we feel that dealing with it in person is much more helpful. We often find that residents have the same question: why have they not taken my rubbish? I put it out on the correct day.
There are various reasons why bins might not have been emptied. Are your bins overflowing? Have you put the right waste in the right bin and recycled correctly? Check the bin to see if the council has put an ‘Oops’ sticker on it, indicating that this is the case. Most especially with recycling, have you put your recycling in a bin liner? Obviously, the liner is not recyclable and the council will not take it if they see you have. This is one reason why they will put an ‘Oops’ sticker on your bin. The food waste is equally important. You need to be careful not to throw anything in it that is not biodegradable, and if you are putting a bag in, it must be a proper degradable food waste bag - buy them at your local supermarket.
Why is recycling so important? • On average, each person in the UK throws away seven times their body weight in rubbish every year. • We make 20 times more plastic today than in the 1950s. • Recycling just one plastic bottle can save the same amount of energy needed to power a 60 watt light bulb for 6 hours. • A banana skin can take up to two years to decompose if not disposed of properly. It is important to remember that your waste is your responsibility. If waste has been refused by the council, you will need to dispose of it or face a charge from the council if they must do so.
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SUBU SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT
Helping rough sleepers in Bournemouth Hayley Butler In a town known internationally for hating the homeless, how can you approach homelessness? “Community,” says Ian Jones, Bournemouth University’s Head of External Engagement. Inspired by the work carried out by Manchester Street Support, Ian spoke to a number of local homeless charities and worked with them to develop Bournemouth’s own branch. So far 29 local charities and organisations have joined together to make the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area a place where no one has to sleep rough. But it isn’t all about the charities and money. As Jones notes, “it’s about paying it forward,” which is where you come in, be it through volunteering directly with those on the street, giving a hand on a charity’s social media channels or holding fundraisers. Doing your bit through Street Support means helping those who really need it. For more information visit streetsupport.net/bournemouth
Dawn Burridge SUBU Volunteering and Sustainability Coordinator The Big Give is SUBU’s biggest annual sustainability event. The end-of-year clear out helps students and staff donate unwanted goods to great causes, making sure it doesn’t end up in landfill! This year we want to beat 2019’s record-breaking total of 5099 bags and we need everyone to donate!
Over
£71,000
raised for the BHF in 2019
It couldn’t be easier to donate: we have banks all over campus, we have regular pickups from halls and even do a street collection if you live in Winton! There is no excuse not to donate your unwanted items. The 2020 campaign runs between 27th April and 13th July. Your donated clothes and accessories, kitchenware and books will go on be sold by the British Heart Foundation to fund research
into beating heart and circulatory illnesses. If you have old duvets and bedding, Street Support will redistribute these to the homeless. And any unopened non-perishable food will go to local food banks and help the homeless. Fear not if you’re planning to leave in September! For the first time, students with halls contracts ending in September are covered: leave your things and the British Heart Foundation will pick them up.
You have saved the weight of
Your donations have saved over
Your donations raised enough for
elephants
of CO2 emissions
of BHF care
6.7
376,590 kg
509 days
Look out for banks and boxes appearing all over Talbot Campus and in halls after Easter. For more information, visit www.subu.org.uk/thebiggive
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SUBU Volunteering Week 17-23 Feb SUBU Volunteer Week is back with plenty of opportunities to learn how volunteering can benefit you as a student, and sign up with local charities! Sun
16 Feb
Beach Champions Litter Pick
Meet the team at Bourne Valley Nature Reserve and help clean up the countryside! For more details visit the Beach Champions’ Facebook page: bit.do/BeachChampions Mon
17 Feb
SUBU & ResLifeBU Volunteering Roadshow Purbeck House (12-4pm)
Drop by and speak to the SUBU volunteering team and local charities, such as the Wave Project, or sign up for opportunities.
Tue
18 Feb
SUBU & Street Support Volunteering Fair Student Centre (10am-3pm)
Speak to charities affiliated with homeless network Street Support Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, including Hope for Food, Dorset Mind, Hope Housing and The Big Issue. Find out how local charities and students can help homeless people and families, and sign up for to help make a difference to one of the biggest issues facing the Bournemouth area.
Wed
19 Feb
SUBU & ResLifeBU Volunteering Roadshow Bailey Point (12-4pm)
Drop by and speak to the SUBU volunteering team and local charities, such as the Wave Project, Dorset Wildlife Trust and Yellowhouse or sign up for some great volunteering opportunities from our local community partners. Wed
19 Feb
Winton Clean Up (10am-12pm)
Join local businesses and community action groups to help clean up Winton, with rubbish pickup, weed removal and pavement clean-up. The clean starts at Webster Family Butchers on Wimborne Road, near KFC, and there will be free hot dogs provided afterwards, thanks to Phones 4 Business. For details see facebook.com/ wintontradersassociation Thu
20 Feb
SUBU & ResLifeBU Volunteering Roadshow Dorchester House (12-4pm)
Drop by and speak to the SUBU volunteering team and local charities, such as the Wave Project, Dorset Wildlife Trust and Yellowhouse or sign up for some great volunteering opportunities from our local community partners. Thu
21 Feb
SUBU & ResLifeBU Volunteering Roadshow Lyme Regis House (12-4pm)
Drop by and speak to the SUBU volunteering team and local charities, such as the Wave Project, or sign up for some great volunteering opportunities from our local community partners.
Thu
20 Feb Fri
21 Feb Sat
22 Feb
Light Up Poole To volunteer at this amazing art and lights community event as a steward or to help with the art installations, visit lightuppoole.co.uk
To browse all volunteering opportunities, visit the SUBU Volunteering Hub: www.subu.org.uk/volunteer
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SUBU SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT
Top Tips Save money and the planet! 1. Choose reusable water bottles, coffee cups and lunch boxes Plastic water bottles take 1000 years to degrade and disposable coffee cups take 200 years. Bee’s Wrap is a great alternative to clingfilm for lunch or snacks! 2. Reduce your meat and dairy consumption Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of climate change and skipping one burger could save enough water for one person to drink for three years. 3. Stop buying tampons and sanitary towels Sanitary products are the fifth biggest plastic found in our oceans. Why not give a menstrual cup a go and have a #PlasticFreePeriod? 4. Ditch fast fashion Fast fashion comes with a storm of human rights violations and green concerns. Avoid brands endorsed by influencers with 24/7 discounts - shop sustainably (see p11). 5. Give up face wipes There’s a reason wet wipes are being banned from 2021: they take 100 years to break down (see p15). 6. Car share Doing lifts to uni or home for the holidays? See if you can share. 7. Share food shops with your housemates Plan meals as a group and less food will go to waste.
Don't Miss National Student Volunteering Week 11-17 Feb Ethical Trade Fortnight 23 Feb-8 Mar
SUBU Go Green Week 16-20 March Sun
15 Mar
Beach Champions Beach Clean
Join the SUBU Beach Champions at Kimmeridge Bay for a day of environmental community work. Find out more on the Beach Champions’ Facebook page: bit.do/BeachChampions Tue
17
Mar
Reducetarian Society Vegan Fair Student Centre (10am-3pm)
Join us in the Student Centre for the tastiest event of term 2, and find out about the benefits of a plant-based diet - for you and for the world. Read more from Juan Ramirez, the Reducetarians’ President, on p10.
Wed
18 Mar
BU/SUBU Sustainability Challenge - The Final Student Centre (1.30pm start)
Come along and watch the final of the Think Green Sustainability Challenge as teams compete to win £500 prize money. In the Dragons’ Den-style event, sponsored by BCP Council Economic Development, will see teams trying to convince experts their sustainable idea is the best. Find out more on p3 or get tickets: sust a inabi lit ycha l lengef ina l. eventbrite.co.uk Thu
19 Mar
BU Spring Recruitment Fair
Student Centre (11am-3pm)
Fri
20 Mar
How Bad Are Bananas? Student Centre (11am-2pm)
Join us in the Student Centre and win small ethical prizes for guessing the carbon footprint of everyday objects. Fri
20 Mar
BU/SUBU Waste Audit
BU and SUBU need volunteers to take part in the crucial annual waste audit. Have a rummage in the bins and find out how students, staff and visitors to BU recycle! This work feeds strategies to help people recycle more responsibly. Details on the SUBU Volunteer Hub: www.subu.org.uk/volunteer
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SUBU SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT
Action on campus
Shannon Butler SUBU Communications Executive Embedded in BU’s 2025 Vision, sustainability is one of Bournemouth University’s core values. To work towards achieving the
UN Sustainability Goals (see p2) BU and SUBU collaboratively work towards a greener future. From efforts made on and around campus to lobbying students to do their bit, sustainability is a key focus at Bournemouth University. In 2016, BU set a target to reduce
carbon emissions by 40% within five years, measured against the 2005/6 baseline. A number of energy and water-saving projects are in place to help reach this goal but staff and students can go a long way towards making this happen. LED lighting saves energy, and even more if they are turned off at the end of meetings or lectures. To tackle the single-use plastic crisis, BU and SUBU also ask staff and students to refill water bottles at the numerous stations across Talbot and Lansdowne Campuses. This coincides with the Spot the Drop campaign: anyone who reports a dripping or leaky tap on campus could win a stainless-steel reusable water bottle. Recycling on campus is continuously being improved but depends on students and staff paying attention to the instructions on each bin. There are also over 1500 solar panels on and around campus. This has incredible environmental benefits; these panels on campus have saved 36,500kg of CO2 emissions. That’s the equivalent of 187 trees being planted.
You can track the energy used each day here: www.subu.org.uk/BUEnergyTracker Hundreds of students are taking the lead on conservation projects and biodiversity in and around the uni, including planting trees, beach cleans and monitoring wildlife at sites like Slades Farm and the Stour Estuary nature reserve. In 2017 the Stour project was shortlisted for an EAUC Green Gown Award, Community category, for connecting local people with wildlife. In 2019 BU’s Dr Karen Thomas was highly commended for being a Sustainability Champion. Numerous SUBU student groups promote sustainability, including the Reducetarian Society and the Green Loop, which has been awarded funding from the NUS to help their working at our allotment, selling fresh food on campus and creating handmade gifts throughout the year. As well as sustaining their project, they also aim to pass on permaculture knowledge and share their voice on the biodiversity committee.
Vegan Fair returns to SUBU Juan Ramirez President, Reducetarian Society We are very excited to announce that the Reducetarian Society will be organising a Vegan Fair in the Student Centre on 17th March as part of SUBU’s Go Green Week. Throughout the day we will be fundraising for Knights Mead Animal Sanctuary, a local sanctuary in need of support with the rising cost of maintaining rescued animals. The team work really hard to keep it open and help as many animals as possible. The Vegan Fair will have a wide variety of stalls with all sorts of wonderful local food vendors, from healthy meals to delicious desserts. Don’t worry, we vegans don’t miss out on anything and animals don’t suffer - it’s a win-win! There will also be health and cosmetic products from Lush and others, wildlife conservation charities and animal rights organisations such as Sea Shepherd to raise awareness of the way animals are
subjugated by different industries. Something for everyone! The Reducetarian Society would love to welcome anyone to the society who seeks a more compassionate and fairer world where no sentient being has to suffer for our appetite or so-called traditions. We’ll also have a stand, so come and talk to us or you can find out more about us online: www.subu.org.uk/clubs Being vegan means aligning your actions with your morality. If you don’t agree with animal cruelty and suffering you already believe in veganism, however you need to consider your everyday actions. To live with a clear conscience, become vegan and help end speciesism! Challenge 22 is a great way to try veganism for 22 days with full support from a mentor, recipes and loads of information to help. And with more options at the Union Shop it is becoming much easier, but if you want to see more of this you need to actively encourage others to make the switch too.
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SUBU SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT
Clothes that don’t cost the Earth Hayley Butler Every year £140 million worth of wearable clothes goes to landfill, according to Wrap UK. Looking for a new outfit? Need fancy dress for a party? The high street doesn’t have to be your first stop. Charity shops Once used exclusively by the elderly, charity shops are treasure troves for everything from books and bric-a-brac to clothes. Bournemouth is bursting with them; Winton is home to 8 charity shops. Jump on the bus to Boscombe for 9 more, or back towards Westbourne for another 9. If you fancy heading further afield Poole, Ringwood and Salisbury are all in easy reach and have all you could ever need. These are perfect for vintage finds as well as, if you’re lucky, new clothes. If you’re willing to do a bit of digging, you can get yourself a full outfit for less than a tenner. Online Don’t fancy having walking around without the guarantee of finding anything? Then why not
sit at home in your pjs and search online? Facebook Marketplace, Depop, Gumtree or Oxfam Online are all great places to find good quality second hand clothing. As the saying goes, one person’s trash is another’s treasure - I recently got a brand new M&S skirt worth about £25 for £8 - don’t mind if I do! Swap shop Doing a spring clean and also want to update your wardrobe? Why not take part in a swap shop? Switch-It Clothing Exchange is a local social enterprise which aims to prevent clothing going to landfill one dress at a time. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for upcoming events, as they tend to be twice a month. In return for your clothes you get tokens to buy items at a reduced price but don’t worry if you have nothing to swap you can still purchase items all the same! You aren’t guaranteed to find what you are looking for but it’s fun to see what you can find! Don’t miss: ‘SUBU Does Queer Eye’ swap shop, 20th February.
Saving the world one halls at a time Joe Dixon BU Green Resident Assistant At the end of the last academic year I was extremely lucky to be recognised for my work with ResLife by SUBU, winning the Greenest Member of Staff award. This truly came as a surprise, and I really appreciate the acknowledgement of the work I put in as a Green Resident Assistant. I want to thank the students across the halls of residence who have contributed to make the last year such a success.
We have held a whole host of events, following the Sustainable Development Goals to promote sustainability within halls and forming lifelong good habits among residents. Students have learnt about the BU bees, cleaned beaches, put their rubbish to good use as Eco-Bricks and other events. Keep an eye out for a focus on recycling and trips to explore the local community. Feel free to contact me with any ideas, suggestions or tips: greenra@bournemouth.ac.uk or Joe Green RA on Facebook.
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SUBU SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT
What’s bin going on? Dr Neil Smith BU Sustainability Manager Over 420 tonnes of waste is produced on the BU campuses every year. But does it all go to the right places? Join SUBU and the BU Sustainability Team to find out what happens to waste when
it’s put in the bin, and take part in our annual waste audit to find out what good (and bad) practice is going on. We know from previous audits that our recycling is being contaminated with coffee and tea and also recyclable items are ending up in the general waste – so there’s a
great opportunity for you to help us improve our recycling. All auditors will receive a £5 voucher and great experience to add to your CV. Sign up: www.subu.org/volunteer Fri
20 Mar
BU/SUBU Waste Audit
Zero waste bathrooms are here Hayley Butler The bathroom seems to be a sore point in my student house when it comes to waste and recycling. I’ve often found myself fishing in the bathroom bin for plastic bottles or card toilet rolls, both of which can be recycled but often aren’t. Of course in an ideal world the bathroom would be a plastic-free zero waste zone but in a house full of girls it isn’t always easy to achieve. However, there are a few simple things you can do to produce less bathroom waste. The first step towards a zero waste bathroom is to use what you already have first. With Christmas not long over, no doubt everyone ended up with some form of toiletry gift set from a distant relative and you shouldn’t feel bad for using it at all. But if you don’t want to use it, rather than binning it, simply re-gift it, sell it or pass it on to a charity shop to give it a chance of finding someone who will use it. Solids Most people have at least one bottle of shampoo, one of conditioner, one of body wash and one of hand soap. Of course in student houses there are even more
- in my student house we have about 20 plastic bottles between four of us, and even though I try, I am partly to blame. Solid versions of all your key bathroom products can be found in Lush, Holland & Barrett and online. While it can be tricky to find the exact one you need, it’s worth it; the average shampoo bar will last you 80-100 washes, the same as 2-3 shampoo bottles. Reusable sanitary products Customers tend to be very loyal to particular sanitary products but there are a number of alternatives to normal pads and tampons that can help reduce your plastic use. If you don’t fancy taking a dive and completely changing what you use then the first easy step is simply switching to a more eco-friendly option with 100% cotton pads and tampons with cardboard applicators. Loads of companies out there are creating these including TOTM, HeyGirls, Flo and OHNE, and a few donate to those in period poverty with each purchase. Other environmentally-friendly options include reusable pads, period pants and, of course, the menstrual cup which could save you up to £362 over five years (depending on which
method you currently use). That’s enough for a weekend break in Europe! Safety razor How many razors do you go through a month? Why not try a safety razor? They can cost around £20-30 but with good care can last a lifetime and will only need their blade replacing. One of my housemates received a razor for Christmas and has said that after a few YouTube tutorials, it works really well and she doesn’t have to shave as often (a definite bonus). Make-up wipes and cotton rounds We’ve all seen the pictures of the fatbergs made of wet wipes, fat and who knows what else blocking sewage pipes. 11 billion wet wipes are used a year in the UK alone and they don’t break down. While some companies have started to develop compostable wet wipes, they are often still packaged in single use plastic. The cheapest and most eco-friendly alternative to make-up wipes is simply a flannel with water and some soap or other cleaning agent if you wish. You can also now buy, or make (if you are a bit crafty), re-usable make-up rounds which could save
you some serious money over the course of a year. Toothbrushes Among plastic waste that is found in the sea and unfortunately in the stomachs of our wildlife are plastic toothbrushes. They take over 400 years to decompose, meaning that every plastic toothbrush ever made still exists. But since compostable bamboo toothbrushes are now widely available, it is a simple change. Do be careful however with what the bristles of the bamboo toothbrush are made of as some companies are still using nylon bristles, which cannot be composted. Another option is to use an electric brush which only requires you to change the head, while it may still be plastic, the waste going to landfill is 30% less than it would otherwise be - and make sure to dispose of the batteries properly when they need replacing. But before you throw that old plastic brush in the bin, give it a second lease of life by using it to clean hard-to-reach places in your bathroom, such as the loo, before it gets sent to landfill. Of course you don’t have to make all of these switches at once but why not challenge yourself to make one small change a month for the rest of the year?
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Visit the Library of Things Alys Penfold
I graduated from Bournemouth in 2015 with a degree in Multimedia Journalism and one goal: to do something that would make a positive difference in the world. My involvement in SUBU gave me the chance to develop my passion for journalism; from fiveminute volunteering in first year, to becoming a Beach Champion, and then Environmental Officer, helping establish the Green Taskforce. My first role after university was on a graduate scheme with an environmental think tank called Green Alliance. They do lots of research and advocacy in an effort to change UK environmental policy. It was an amazing learning curve but as my year came to an end, I was itching to move onto the next thing but I didn’t know what. I applied to bigger organisations such as Greenpeace and WWF with no success, so after only a year of full-time work, I decided it was already time for a break! I then embarked on my ‘gap halfyear’ doing different bits and bobs including volunteering and living
with a family in Kenya with the International Citizen Service (ICS). For the last two and a half years I’ve worked for the social enterprise The Library of Things. We lend useful and joyful Things such as lawnmowers, drills and waffle makers to local communities. Most items are expensive to buy and take up space yet are only used a handful of times. We’re on a mission to make borrowing better than buying: more affordable, convenient, kinder to the planet and more socially rewarding. In that short time, we’ve gone from two shipping containers in a car park to a smart self-serve kiosk in a community library and we’re opening two sites in other areas of London this year. I started as a Community Activator engaging with locals to encourage borrowing, recruiting and training volunteers and organising skill-sharing events, and I’m now advising others in that role as well leading support for borrowers and managing our social media.
It’s a role I wouldn’t have imagined existed when I was at university, and in many ways it’s my dream job as it combines the two things I have found a passion for along my journey: the environment with communities. I certainly haven’t had the most ‘traditional’ trajectory since graduating, but everything I’ve done has led me to where I am now. Degrees are more and more commonplace these days, so the additional activities you get involved with at university really do add extra strings to your bow. Not only that, you’ll meet people you might never have. I made some of my best friends through volunteering with SUBU. You might not always know what’s next, but follow your passions and it’s sure to lead you down the right path. www.subu.org.uk/volunteer
Waste not want not The reheating revolution
Originally published in Nerve Magazine: nervemedia.org.uk
Elise Jones We’ve all been there. Not wanting to make our own food, we order from the saviours known as Deliveroo or Just Eat and relax. But just as it arrives, we realise we ordered an obscene amount and only make our way through a tiny portion and throw the rest away. The food and agricultural organisation of the United Nations reported that 1.3 BILLION tonnes of food are wasted a year. That’s a third of the food produced for consumption, in the bin. In the UK alone, we waste over 1,9000,000 tonnes of edible goods each year! This could feed over 30 million people a year, and we needlessly throw it away. Most issues come from lack of knowledge of how to safely cook, store, and reheat food. If we’re worried about food poisoning, why would we risk heating leftovers? Food poisoning is caused by spores of Bacillus Cereus, a
bacterium that thrives in badlystored cooked food. I did some investigating of my own as I had never ventured into the dangerous lands of reheated rice and discovered professional chef Paul James. He explains: “The biggest danger with rice revolves around cooling it safely rather than in reheating. After cooking the rice, cool it as quickly as possible and do not leave it in a rice cooker or saucepan to cool. Keep it in a fridge for up to 24 hours. When reheating, make sure it is hot all the way through, and only reheat once.” BBC Good Food recommends getting your leftovers cooled down and in the fridge within 90 minutes of cooking.
My main tip would be to make sure no food is left out overnight, as this is the prime time for Cereus bacteria to ruin your meal! Get the food out of the pan it was cooked in as soon as possible and into a larger shallow dish to aid cooling and pop it in the fridge or freezer. Investing in some tupperware or Ziploc bags also means that you can safely store your leftovers in the fridge. If you’ve stored your leftovers in the fridge, it is important to date them as they are only safely edible for a couple of days. This works if you have a small amount of food left for lunch or dinner the following day (cooking the right amount of pasta is a common problem for students). If you’ve decided that you want to freeze your food, most leftovers can last over a month. The Food Standards Agency advises that any food you reheat needs to be cooked in a heat-safe dish. Depending on how you plan
to reheat your food, the container you cook it in needs to be either microwave or oven safe. The basics of reheating is that you need to cook the food again. It isn’t a case of just warming the food; you have to make sure it is piping hot all the way through before you eat it. BBC Good Food advises that food should reach 70°C or above, and be able to maintain that temperature for 2 minutes. Just make sure the food is steaming hot if you aren’t able to locate a fancy food thermometer (you can do this by stirring or cutting the food open). Microwaving is a popular way of reheating food. If you do, take the food out halfway and give it a stir, as microwaves often heat the outside well but leave the middle cooler and unsafe to eat. Food waste is a giant problem and the UK one of the worst culprits. Be a part of the food revolution - use tupperware and reheat!
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Vegan options at SUBU Shannon Butler SUBU Communications Executive Have you been to the Union Shop recently? You’ll be blown away at the variety of vegan lunch options. Whether you’re full or part-time plant-based or continuing from #Veganuary, check out the new Urban Roots range! There are 7 new vegan lunch options, all included in the £3.49 meal deal! Since our HUGE Quorn Vegetarian range launched last year, we
are striving to have more vegetarian and vegan options available. There are also, of course, plenty of gluten-free and halal options. The new Urban Roots vegan range in the Union Shop includes: • Pesto Presto: vegan wrap with dairy-free mozarella. • A’MEZZE’ING: sweet potato falafel and houmous wrap. • Dirty Jack: BBQ jackfruit wrap. • Pickle Me Up: dairy-free cheddar with tomatoes and pickle. • Shabby Chic-Pea: chickpea, carrot and orange chutney.
• Hello Courgeous: chargrilled veg, caramelised onion and houmous sandwich. • Bhaji Bonanza: onion bhaji, Bombay potato and mango chutney sandwich. • Falafelicious: sweet potato, falafel and red pepper sandwich. You can of course find loads of other food and snacks including Krispy Kremes, pasties, fruit and crisps in the Union Shop. And don’t forget our two meal deals - £2.69 and £3.49.
What is ethical trade? Gillie Lewis SUBU Community Partnerships Lead When you purchase a bunch of bananas from your local Co-Op, do you look for the ‘Fairtrade’ logo sticker? How does buying ethical trade produce help people around the world? The ethical trade movement began in the 1990s, when it was used as a term for socially-responsible sourcing. Media campaigns
brought attention to the harsh conditions of workers around the world producing clothes, shoes, toys, food and other consumables for multinational companies, mainly for first world countries. Ethical (and sustainable) trade is about ensuring that the products and services we all buy have not been made at the expense of international workers in global supply chains. It encompasses international employment rights such as working hours, health and safety,
freedom of association and wages. It’s about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers, growers and workers in the developing world. Ethical trade also involves companies taking steps to identify and rectify problems, and to continuously improve working conditions over time. Many more countries are moving towards adopting ethical trade guidelines and progressive businesses are developing ways to implement them. In September 2013, the UK government launched its action plan on business and human rights, becoming the first country to set out guidance for companies on integrating human rights into their everyday operations.
At SUBU we support and promote knowledge of this movement with our Ethical Trade Fortnight, which this year runs from 24th February to 8th March but we should all be supporting it all year round. Your weekly purchase of ‘Fairtrade’ bananas at Co-Op will mean a plantation worker in Costa Rica will earn a fair wage, and be able to support and feed their family. Fairtrade is only one ethical and sustainable trade brand. Others to look out for include the Rainforest Alliance, Sustainable Cocoa Initiative and Cradle to Cradle. Ethical trade brands are sold all year round in SUBU outlets like Dylan’s and the Union Shop, from clothing and chocolate, to the tea and Change Please coffee. Find out more: www.subu.org.uk/ ethicaltradefortnight
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Switches to save the Earth Shannon McDavitt We all know we need to do more for the planet. Coming into the new year - and the new decade here are just a few easy changes we can all make to our everyday life that will make a big difference to the planet.
Bamboo coffee cups are no secret and are becoming increasingly popular across the UK with brands like Starbucks selling their own reusable cups to encourage customers to ditch single-use cups and lids for good.
Travel cups are a staple of life in 2020 and are now sold all over the UK by retailers like Chilly’s, Tesco and even Selfridges. Another easy switch to make is reusable water bottles, including the infamous Chilly’s! Many bottles can be used for both cold and hot drinks, so are an investment you can use all year round. On the subject of easy eco switches to our day-to-day lives, bamboo lunch boxes are a convenient, eco-friendly change available in a range of fun colours and sizes so there is something for everyone. Something that won’t be leaving our kitchens and bags are the infamous metal straws – after the controversy of paper straws in bars and clubs, metal straws have been filling the shelves in Tesco, Primark, Selfridges and basically everywhere you turn. Again, these range in colour, size and price. Bamboo seems to be the running theme but one product we use several times a day but do not
think about the impact it has on the planet is the toothbrush. It is estimated that more than 200 million toothbrushes are thrown away each year in the UK alone. Each brush takes more than 400 years to decompose, so it is definitely time to swap plastic for bamboo.
Bamboogaloo have a range of eco-friendly toothbrushes, cotton buds and floss made of a bamboo called Moso. Moso is not one of the recognised foods for pandas so don’t worry, they are safe too!
NUS: SUBU’s green impact ‘excellent’ Since 2011 SUBU has participated in the National Union of Students’ Green Impact scheme. This ‘green audit’ helps us look at ethical and sustainable practices and how we help students choose to live more sustainably. Everything from switching off PCs when they’re not in use to waste management at The Old Fire Station is considered. We also show how we help students live more sustainably, at uni and beyond. SUBU has always ranked highly at the Green Impact Awards,
achieving Gold and Excellent in recent years. The scheme began in SUs but has now been implemented in local and national organisations, including the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Trust. We also work closely with the BU Estates Sustainability Team, working towards our common goal
to be the greenest uni in the UK. By using Green Impact best practices and other recognised schemes, the university has achieved 15th place. Dr Neil Smith, BU Sustainability Manager, says sustainability is one of the university’s key policies. “We are now on a journey over the next five years to ensure our education, research and professional practice are aligned to the UN SDGs. We will continue to work with SUBU and ResLife to provide opportunities for students to gain these vital employability skills.”
The Power of Recycling Hayley Butler I get it, no-one enjoys recycling. And when you move to a new city, especially moving to uni, it’s just another thing to worry about along with making new friends, working out how to feed yourself and finding out where you lectures are. Recycling is usually the last thing on your mind but once you know what you’re doing it, it becomes almost second nature. First things first: make sure you have a recycling bin, crate or bag indoors so you don’t have
to traipse outside every time you want to put some rubbish to be recycled. You don’t need one in every room but having one in the kitchen for starters can be handy. I also have one in my bedroom to for paper and other things but it’s up to you. Make sure you know what can actually be put in the recycling bin. In Bournemouth it is possible to recycle a lot of things that it isn’t possible to recycle elsewhere. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council will accept paper, cardboard, food and drink
cartons, glass bottles and jars, plastic packaging (bottles, tubs and lids) and metal packaging (cans, households aerosols, foil). Their website has a helpful printable PDF so you can double check what can goes where, and even stick it above your recycling bin so everyone knows. When it comes to glass and packaging, make sure they are clean and dry before recycling them. While it isn’t quite recycling, you may also have a small brown bin at your student house, and if you don’t already, you can ask your
landlord about getting one. These are for food waste and reduce what you put in the general rubbish. The first two years of food waste collections saw 4200 tonnes collected, enough to power the whole recycling process plus 300 households for a year. You can pick the compostable bags needed for this bin up from SUBU, in the Student Centre on Talbot Campus. All you have to do is chuck scraps, leftovers, mouldy or out of date food, meat bones, tea and coffee grounds in and put it out for collection every week!
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Coming Up at SUBU www.subu.org.uk/whatson
Student Volunteering Week
Sustainability Challenge
More Than My Degree
Step Up
Mon 10-Sun 16 Feb
Feb-Mar
Feb-Apr
Sat 7 Mar
SUBU Volunteering Week
Got an idea with impact? Find out how you can win £500 with SUBU and BU on p3!
A series of sessions designed to give students real-world confidence.
Always wanted to try a new sport? SUBU and SportBU are giving you the chance! Tickets: www.subu.org.uk/stepup
Mon 17-Sun 23 Feb
One World Festival
Stonehenge Trip
Tue 17-Wed 18 Mar
Sat 22 Feb
An event celebrating culture, inspirational people, our changing planet and our passions.
Book now at www.subu.org.uk/daytrips
Ethical Trade Fortnight
Go Green Week
Mon 24 Feb-Sun 8 Mar
Mon 16-Sun 22 Mar
Full-Time Officer Elections
LGBT+ History Month
Brighton Trip
The Big Give
Feb-Mar
February
Sat 7 Mar
Apr-Jul
Think you could lead the Students’ Union? See p7 for the key dates and how to run.
See our full programme of events celebrating all things queer at www.subu.org.uk/lgbt
Explore the colourful seaside town! Book your place now at www.subu.org.uk/daytrips
Learn how you can help with SUBU’s biggest sustainability initiative on p7.
Stay sustainable at festivals
Shannon Butler SUBU Communications Executive Festivals all around the globe are trying to reduce their carbon footprint. Last year’s Glastonbury Festival saw plastic bottles banned across all food outlets. The festival claimed to have sold and served over a million drinks in plastic bottles in 2017 and are working with partner Greenpeace to be as eco-friendly as possible. Boomtown Festival have operated an eco-bond system for the last few years. This involves festi-goers paying a £10 deposit with their tickets which they can claim back by collecting a bag of rubbish or separated recycling at any point during the festival. Many other festivals such as Boardmasters, Reading & Leeds, Bestival and Download all encour-
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age ticket holders to be as sustainable as possible but how can YOU be an eco-friendly festi-goer this summer? Here are some top tips. 1. Take a re-usable water bottle. Many festivals promote this. You can also buy handy collapsible bottles to make for light packing. 2. Use the bins provided and CORRECTLY! Don’t contaminate recycling bins and certainly don’t litter. Throwing a cigarette butt on the floor counts as littering FYI! 3. Car share or use coaches! 4. Take your tent home, along with everything else you bring. If you really don’t want to lug it home, most festivals have a donation point that takes items like chairs, blankets, pillows and tents and donate them to homeless charities. Check with the festival but ALWAYS take belongings home. 5. Using glitter? Make sure it’s biodegradable!
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