Green Gown Awards 2017 - Loughborough University - Finalist

In the last few years good Environmental Management and contractor partnership has delivered excellent waste management and recycling across the campus estate. Recycling levels have risen from 9% in 2005/6 to 52% onsite and 76% overall, with only 5% of waste now going to landfill. 

Exploring other ways to improve these figures and resource efficiency led to Loughborough University (LU) reaching for the higher hanging fruit – disposable cups. Not just looking for the waste solution, a more circular approach has been undertaken. 

The project has been a fantastic success and embodies a life cycle approach from cradle to grave. Incorporating a threefold approach of drinking in using crockery; promotion and sale of the re-use cup and becoming the first FHE to take up the Simply Cups recycling scheme. This project has succeeded in embedding the three pillars of sustainability environment, economic and social whilst maintaining the LU brand.

Top 3 learnings:

1 Collaboration amongst teams and colleagues is key.

2 The reasoning behind this is environmental not financial.

3 Selling reuse cups is easy, recycling cups is not.

CO2t savings over the life cycle of the project:

20 E over 5 years 

Videos

• Ditching the disposable for...The Loughborough Cup… Another inspiring winner! (click to hide)