The University of Manchester signs up to help the city go zero carbon and plastic free

The University of Manchester has announced its participation in ambitious regional initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and plastic use.

Along with other universities and colleges in Greater Manchester, The University of Manchester and its Students’ Union will work to eradicate avoidable single-use plastics from catering, labs and stationery by 2022.

The University has also announced it will play a major role in the ambitious target of the city becoming zero carbon by 2038.

Currently, The University has taken a number of actions on reducing plastics, including widespread and incentivised use of re-usable cups which saved 338kg of waste last year.

Due to changes in the University hotel and conferencing facilities, this will save an estimated 10,000 plastic pens, 10,000 plastic straws, 15,000 plastic bottles and 48,000 bathroom shampoo and soap bottles each year.

The University of Manchester Students’ Union has also been reducing plastic and has opened a student-run zero-waste shop which sells dried goods, bread, honey and cleaning products.

Instead of plastic packaging, customers bring their own containers or bags to fill up products and pay by weight or item.

To improve plastic recycling and look for sustainable alternatives, these initiatives will run alongside important research being led by University academics.

Manchester’s carbon targets have been developed with the University-based Tyndall Centre and commit the city to a science-based ‘carbon budget’, capping total emissions at 15 million tonnes from 2018 – 2100.

“The University itself is estimated to be responsible for 5.9 per cent of the city’s carbon emissions and through our network of suppliers, 12,000 staff and 40,000 students we can play an important role in driving change and influencing behaviour on climate change and resource use,” said Professor James Thompson, Vice-President for Social Responsibility.

“We know that these are challenging targets, but along with our partners we are determined to fully contribute to a vitally important local project which has global repercussions.”