Sustainable Living - Keele University
Keele Hub Banner  

The Hub for

innovation and implementation of sustainable living

Keele Hub for Sustainability

Sustainable Living

green bulb

Sustainable living is living in a way that leaves natural resources for future generations. It means consuming resources no more quickly than they can replenish themselves.

At Keele we try to promote sustainable living by selling fair-trade products whenever possible. There is a farmers' market at the Students' Union every Tuesday during term time and there are recycling bins around campus. We are trying to phase out water coolers and encourage people to refill water bottles rather than buying bottled water.

We can all make informed choices to reduce our environmental impact and help conserve the earth's natural resources.

Tips for Sustainable Living

Below are some easy actions that we can all choose to take to live more sustainably:

  • Grow your own. Either in your garden or apply for an allotment.
  • Harvest the rain water from your roof, and use it to water your garden.
  • Recycle at home and at work and reuse materials yourself or find someone that can.
  • Fly less! Why not try a holiday closer to home? Go on a walking or cycling holiday to be really green!
  • Meat free Mondays: meat production is very energy intensive so why not cut down a little. Visit www.meatfreemondays.co.uk
  • Switch off all those unnecessary electrical appliances and only have heating on when you really need it. An energy monitor can help you identify which appliances use the most energy. You might be surprised how much your computer uses!
  • Invest in Tupperware. By making a relatively cheap one time purchase you can end your reliance on wasteful disposables like tin foil, plastic wrap, and paper bags. Or just reuse those plastic takeaway boxes. However, it is always best to take food out of plastic containers before reheating it.
  • Buy local. The food you find at the supermarket has been shipped an average of 1500 miles. Support the KUSU farmers' market on Tuesdays, even during the holidays, or go to one of the many farm shops near campus.

Sustainable Student House

Sustainable student house

The Sustainable Student House initiative is an undergraduate student-led project aiming to highlight the various benefits of living a more sustainable lifestyle, including saving cash, improving health and gaining more of an awareness of the environment.

The students moved in to the bungalow in September and since then have been busy creating raised beds to grow their own food and setting up a greenhouse, and a water irrigation system. 

They will have several open days during the year and you can follow their progress on their website (see below). Follow this blog for more information.

 

 

Other Links

Really Rubbish

How much rubbish do we, as a nation, throw away, and what event does it have on Wildlife and the rest of our environment? The Sustainability Hub is having Really Rubbish Week from 21-25th November where you can find out the answers to all your Really Rubbish questions, see our Really Rubbish Exhibits, as well as participate in Really Rubbish Activities for all the family. More information here.