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Institution: Falmouth University
Location: Falmouth, United Kingdom
Focus Area: Campus operations, student and community initiatives; Sustainable Product Design, Sustainable Tourism Management & Sustainable Festival Management
Expertise: Campus operations, student and community initiatives; Sustainable Product Design, Sustainable Tourism Management & Sustainable Festival Management
Key Projects:
Student-led and community initiatives
The Falmouth & Exeter Students' Union (The SU) has a dedicated Green Council. Elected members invested in cultivating campus sustainability, lobby the universities and drive behavioural change across the campuses. The Students' Union also won the Collaboration of the Year award with the National Societies and Volunteering Awards for Sustainability Week. The week-long event, open to all staff and students, focused on a breadth of sustainability topics and those relevant to the circular economycircular economyA systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature., including sustainable lifestyles, energy and resources, future thinking and biodiversity. Sustainability Week is an annual event. Learn more.
The Green Committee is implementing a number of initiatives at the campus level, such as promoting free public transport credit for students and a future Summer Swap shop on campus. There is also an 'Edible Pathways' initiative in development, which will, in addition to planting new edible fruit trees and plants around campus, provide signage for areas of biodiversity and edible food plants.
Falmouth University is a member of 'Circular Falmouth', a group of circular and sustainability professionals from Cornwall Council, TEVI, University of Exeter, Falmouth University and FX Plus. The group aims to help Falmouth's businesses and residents develop a circular economy and for Falmouth and Cornwall to work towards Carbon Neutrality by 2030. Falmouth University will use the experience and networks to grow circular initiatives across Falmouth's two campuses.
Campus management
Falmouth University and the University of Exeter Sustainability team (FX Plus) approach key sustainability themes on energy, waste, transport, biodiversity, procurement and commercial operations across the University's two campuses in Cornwall, (Falmouth and Penryn). It includes activities such as sustainable printing, campus tree planting and vegan and vegetarian catering. Some of the circular campus initiatives are outlined below.
Find out more about Sustainability at Falmouth University.
Procurement and sourcing produce from local suppliers - 70% of the University's food and drinks suppliers are local in Devon and Cornwall - reducing food and transport carbon emissions and helping to support the local economy. The Procurement Team are signed up to the 'NETpositive' supplier engagement platform and enables the University to work with suppliers to build sustainability objectives and action plans together.
Energy and emissions reduction - Falmouth University campuses are supplied with 100% renewable electricity. The electricity is backed by Clean Technology Renewable EnergyRenewable EnergyEnergy derived from resources that are not depleted on timescales relevant to the economy, i.e. not geological timescales. which originates from sources such as wind, solar and hydro and is evidenced through the Renewable Energy Guarantees Origin (REGO) scheme. Falmouth University has lowered emissions via switching to an allelectric fleet of vehicles on campus and the installation of technologies including LED lighting, solar PV arrays and combined heat and power (CHP) systems.
Campus Biodiversity - The University campuses support a huge variety of plants, insects and wildlife and the grounds team encourages biodiversity to flourish. Wildflower areas on campus have increased by 60% (4.5 acres) supporting the regeneration of native flora and fauna.
Reuse and eliminating single-use plastic - Discounts on food and drink when students bring their own reusable containers to campus outlets. Plastic bottles are no longer offered in vending machines and food prepared on-site is packaged in biodegradable and compostable packaging. Additionally, there is a reusable pint glass scheme at all student events.
The Cleaning Team is implementing a new dosing system. All products have a 'WEIR' (Wright Environmental Impact Rating) rating system that measures the raw materials used, in addition to a range of other environmental criteria. The super-concentrated cleaning system is expected to result in a reduction of 3,000 plastic bottles per year, (alongside a reduction in shipping and associated emissions).
Sustainability Week - As part of an annual event hosted by the Student Union, FX Plus host a week full of sustainability events, lectures and activities for both staff and students.
Teaching
BA Hons Sustainable Tourism Management Combining the expertise of the School of Entrepreneurship with the visionary and pioneering Eden Project, this course offers a unique approach, with sustainability at its core and accredited by A Greener Festival. Students develop a sustainable approach to management in the globally expanding tourism industry.
BA (Hons) Sustainable Product Design - promotes sustainable development challenges through real-world design briefs and live projects with local, national and international organisations. The course introduces the principles of the circular economy and examines key global issues - such as food and water, energy, population and resources - that are informing design debates for sustainable change.
Connect with
Oliver Milliner, Head of Sustainability
Find out more
FX Plus (Falmouth Exeter Plus) https://www.fxplus.ac.uk/
