SEN June News

[Guy Shrubsole]

Dear All,

Main news in this mailout is to draw attention to what's going on at Lancaster Uni. Tom, LUSU's environmental co-ordinator, has written to me to share some ideas:

 

1) We are starting a battery recycling initiative tying this in with a local schools collection scheme. Batteries are relatively easy to recycle and in terms of environmental impacts are a prime target. I contacted my County Council and applied for a Green Partnership Award (and was successful) to ensure sufficient funds over the 1st year.

 

2) Jamie Agombar of the NUS provides regular environmental weekly tips which are well worth having contact Jamie at:

Jamie Agombar
  Ethical & Environmental Coordinator
  NUS Services Limited

        Tel     +44  (0) 1625 413239
        Fax     +44  (0) 1625 413439
        Email   jago...@nussl.co.uk
        Web     www.nussl.co.uk

 

 

3) Mobile Phones and Printer cartridges are highly toxic to dispose of. Recycling them not only prevents them from contaminating land, but can also raise money for charities. See www.envirofone.com , .......also

 

Guide Dogs for the Blind

Nick Richmond

Direct Marketing Co-ordinator (interim)

Tel: (0118) 983 8310

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association=20 Hillfields Burghfield Common Reading Berkshire RG7 3YG

website: www.guidedogs.org.uk  

and the RNLI: ga...@rnli.org.uk

 0845 122 6999

4) This is the final semester and there are a lot of students leaving. Instead of simply dumping old crockery and cutlery we are trying to get a freecycle scheme underway, so that all old crockery and cutlery are donated, stored over the summer and then given to new students in September on a first come first served basis.

 

Many thanks to Tom for these suggestions.

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For feedback on the Climate Conference advertised in last month's newsletter, check out: http://portal.campaigncc.org/?q=conference

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Art Not Oil is just about to kick off on its touring show, as from 10th June: www.artnotoil.org.uk

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Oxford Environment committee, in partnership with the local People & Planet branch, recently held a successful day of activities drawing attention to the problems of 'food miles' - the greenhouse gas emissions produced by flying food long distances across the world. An informative evening of talks and discussion was made even more enjoyable by hosting the event at a local restaurant/cafe, which sells mostly local food: underscoring the points being made.

 Perhaps other people have thought up innovative approaches to the food miles issue? Has anyone tried making local food as much an issue as fair trade food? Indeed, are the two issues sometimes at odds...? One to think about...

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All the best and enjoy the sunny weather!

Guy

[Chris Adams]

This caught my eye - how would the battery recycling scheme work? 

Does it revolve around using a bin that gets emptied every few weeks, or something more, like a postage paid envelopes to a recycling plant? 

Batteries are a horrible thing to send to landfill, but I was under the impression they were pretty hard to a) find people who will recycle them and b) expensive to have recycled.

C

1) We are starting a battery recycling initiative tying this in with a local schools collection scheme. Batteries are relatively easy to recycle and in terms of environmental impacts are a prime target. I contacted my County Council and applied for a Green Partnership Award (and was successful) to ensure sufficient funds over the 1st year.

Chris Adams

Environment Officer

University of Westminster Students' Union

m: 07974 368 229

googletalk: uwsu.env...@gmail.com

32-38 Wells Street

London

W1T 3UW