Fresh Blog

Fresh are committed to make a positive impact on our planet by committing to reducing waste across all our sites. Every small effort in reducing our waste counts, and when these efforts are multiplied by individuals throughout our communities, the difference we can make can grow.

So, what better opportunity to learn about how we can be more mindful of our waste usage, creating a community that contributes to a healthier environment for all? Before throwing something away, the golden rule to remember, is the Waste Hierarchy. Well, you don’t have to remember the name, but more the principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
 

What to consider:

Reduce: Before you even buy a product, is this something that you totally need? If you’re thinking twice, you could save waste (and money, who doesn’t want to do that?) by not making the purchase. This isn’t about us telling you what you can or cannot buy, but it could benefit you and the environment to think if a purchase is a necessity.

Reuse: Now, if you have an item that you are prepared to throw away, consider:
– Could I donate this?
– Do I know someone who can make use of this item?
– Can I use it for another purpose?

Recycle: If you are unable to reduce or reuse something, recycle as much of the item as you possibly can. The Waste Hierarchy helps the environment by reducing the usage of new raw materials, saving energy and decreasing pollution. Individually, ‘Reduce’ saves energy and avoids creating waste, ‘Reuse’ extends product life and saves resources, and ‘Recycle’ lowers pollution and protects natural resources.
 

How can I apply this to my daily life?

Each of our properties can have their own recycling and disposal policies, so contact your property team for ways that you can dispose of waste specifically to your accommodation. Some examples may be:

– Reduce the amount of paper you’re printing, and consider printing alternatives
– Reduce using single-use coffee cups, purchase a re-usable coffee cup instead
– Ask others if they would like your items before throwing them away. You can message your accommodation group chat, if you have one, or simply ask around. Which resident wouldn’t take an (almost) new lamp?
– Make use of donating to charity shops. Donate any unwanted items to local charity shops. Depending on your location, there may be a clothing bank near your accommodation, where you can drop off items instead of heading into a physical shop.

Conclusion:

For any further information around the topics covered in this blog, you can simply check out the Simpler Recycling guide. If you have any questions on how you can contribute to Simpler Recycling and being more mindful of our waste in our student communities, then please contact your general manager.

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With technology providing so many benefits for us, especially throughout our studies, it’s safe to say we might use a lot of electricity in our day-to-day lives without realising. Of course, you need plugs to charge your laptop when meeting project deadlines, watch Netflix in your downtime, or brew a cup of tea to chat over. However, being mindful of our electricity usage and making small changes can collectively make a positive impact on the environment. Below are some small and simple adjustments we can begin to make to build towards a healthier environment together.
 

Switch Off Unused Appliances

An adjustment that may sound obvious, but is very easy to forget, is to switch off the plug on the wall on appliances that we aren’t currently using. A good way to remind yourself of this is to set a timer on your phone for the rough duration of time you think you’ll use the appliance for. For example, you can set a 5-minute timer if you are boiling water in the kettle, so you can switch the plug off once you’ve made your brew. It’s also good practice to perform a quick scan of the plugs in your room to ensure they are off before heading out.
 

Charge Electronics Efficiently

Try to avoid charging your electronics for an extended amount of time, especially overnight or throughout the day, as electricity will still be used when charging your electronics even after they hit full charge. Not only that — this also harms your devices, potentially shortening the overall battery lifespan.
 

Close Doors

Keeping doors closed within the building where possible reduces the amount of colder air coming in. Being mindful of this can help keep the temperature throughout the building consistent.
 

Use Cloud Storage

Where possible, you can reduce total energy consumption by linking to files on cloud storage instead of consistently sending large attachments. We won’t bore you with the science of this, but in a nutshell, cloud storage reduces energy use by consolidating files in a larger data centre, which means you’ll need fewer physical servers. Just trust us — it reduces energy!
 

Conclusion

You may find posters around our sites on how we can reduce our energy usage and be more mindful of it. If you have any questions, would like guidance on the Switch It Off campaign, or want to know more about how you can help, please speak to your General Manager. Making some of these changes could be the first step toward building a strong community of students that collectively helps to protect the environment.

Fresh's Be Wellbeing Programme is here to help you feel welcome, supported and connected throughout your student journey.

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University isn’t just a place to learn about sustainability; it’s somewhere you can put it into practice. Being a mindful consumer and making manageable adjustments to your lifestyle will have a far bigger impact than you know. Why not start with cycling to lectures, shaving a few minutes off your shower or recycling in your Fresh student accommodation? Building a greener future begins with you and the changes you make today.

What is Mindful Consumerism?

Mindful consumerism encourages conscious decision-making around what, where and how you buy. Things like environmental impact and the ethics of production shape those decisions. Making mindful choices around your buying habits helps reduce waste and pollution and challenges the use of unfair labour.

Six Tips for a More Sustainable Student Lifestyle

Choose the Right Student Accommodation

Fresh is committed to providing eco-conscious student accommodation across the UK and reducing our carbon footprint. How? By reducing energy use, preserving water and cutting down waste in our student halls. Renewably sourcing electricity, using public transport and encouraging biodiversity in student accommodation green spaces are all long-term measures we are taking.

Try Second-Hand Shopping

Textile and clothing production is responsible for over 92 million tons of waste a year, a figure that is steadily climbing. Buying second-hand helps reduce carbon emissions and water waste. Another big pro is that less actual clothing ends up in landfills or incinerators. Apps like Depop and Vinted make buying and selling old clothes easier than ever. You can find great deals and bargains on clothes that are practically brand new!

Charity shops are also great places to look for budget-friendly clothes or second-hand furniture. British Heart Foundation, Oxfam, or Salvation Army are well known for their reused furnishings. Browse online or in your local shop for lamps, mirrors, fridges and more. Plus, it’s hard to beat charity shop prices. You’re sure to find a new top or pair of jeans in your budget.

Careful Food Sourcing for a Sustainable Diet

Shop Local

Shopping locally reduces CO2 emissions from transporting food or travelling further afield to buy.

Buy Seasonal Produce

Seasonal, home-grown produce doesn’t need to be imported. It has a much lower carbon footprint and supports UK farmers.

Eat Less Meat

Producing meat requires land to be repurposed for livestock. This often results in deforestation and pollution. More meat production also results in more plastic packaging to keep it fresh and stop it from contaminating other food.

Plan Your Shop

Planning your shop around set weekly meals encourages you to buy what you will use, which helps minimise food waste.

Buy Organic

Growing organic fruit and veg involves less artificial pesticides and uses natural fertilisers. That means healthier food and healthier farming practices.

Grow Your Herbs

You don’t need much space at all to start growing herbs from your kitchen windowsill. Low-maintenance herb plants that are happy in a small pot include:

• Basil
• Parsley
• Mint
• Chives
• Thyme

Sustainable Transportation Options for Students

Walking and Cycling

Choosing to walk or cycle around your local area is one of the easiest ways to lower your carbon footprint. City centres and areas close to your university will often have cycle lanes and cycle storage. Your Fresh student accommodation has cycle storage too.

Public Transport

On the mission to hit net zero, using public transport rather than driving is one of the easiest ways to make a difference. Replacing your car journey with a bus trip can reduce CO2 emissions of road users by up to 42% and by an even greater 73% if travelling by train.

As a student, it’s well worth applying for a 16-25 Railcard, which takes 1/3 off your train fares. The discount adds up, especially on longer cross-country journeys. Many local councils also offer subsidised bus fares for students when you present a valid student ID.

Get Involved with Eco-Conscious Student Societies

There are often eco-friendly societies at university for you to get involved in, hosting events like beach cleans and litter pickups in public spaces. They will also host social events, workshops and talks where you can stay informed about how to make a difference within the student community.

Save Energy and Water in Your Student Halls

Turning off your lights and electronics when they’re not in use will help to save electricity every day. Make sure to turn things like phone chargers, laptops and TVs off at the mains, as they still draw electricity when they're on standby.

Heating your apartment efficiently will also help reduce your energy consumption. Remember to keep your windows closed if you have the heating on and turn down the temperature when you’re not around.

When it comes to saving water, small changes go a long way. Just one minute less in the shower can save up to nine litres of water, so keep your showers short and remember to turn off the tap while you brush your teeth.

A Fresh Approach to Student-Led Sustainability

Caring for the environment isn’t just about living greener; it’s about building a student community that cares as much about the future as you do. The Fresh Be Wellbeing programme is here to help you feel welcome, supported and connected as you start your student adventure. Explore our wellbeing initiatives here.

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Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Find out how to be more sustainable in our guest blog by Megan Baker from Amber.

When you’re a fresher, how sustainable you can be during your first year of uni is typically one of the last things that comes to mind. Instead, you’re submitting assignments last minute, getting lost on campus between lectures, and trying to work out how on earth your parents managed to keep up with the endless washing. So, in order to save you the time and effort of researching how you can be more sustainable whilst at uni, we’ve created a list of five ways to help the planet from your student home.

1. Up your water intake without the plastic

While Tesco meal deals may be a staple for every student, the packaging that comes with it does no favours for the planet. Instead of picking up a single-use plastic bottled drink, why not invest in a reusable water bottle. This is a great way to help the planet, and you will now have a cute new accessory to take wherever you go. Chilly’s has lots of great options for reusable bottles.

2. Reduce your fast fashion consumption

Looking for a new top to wear on a student night out? Why not buy something from Depop instead of a brand new item? Chances are it’ll probably be cheaper and buying second hand clothing can give life to items which might never have been worn again despite being in perfect condition. Similar to this, if you have clothes that you won’t rewear, selling them on a platform like Vinted can make you some money and clear out your wardrobe.

3. Stop tumble drying your clothes

One of the biggest changes you can make to be more sustainable is switching from tumble drying to airing your washing on a clothes horse. During the summer months putting your clothes in a well-circulated area will dry them in only a few hours and will stop you from wasting your money on the tumble dryer. In the winter it can be a bit harder to air dry your clothes, but investing in a heated airer increases the circulation of warm air and allows you to dry your clothes efficiently even when it’s snowing outside.

4. Delete your emails

All emails are required to be stored on a server; these server farms need energy and water to function for 24 hours a day. The amount of energy they consume relies entirely on how much there is to store. Therefore, something as simple as clearing out your inbox can save countless amounts of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere.

5. Go paperless

Try to stop using paper when necessary. For example, where digital train/plane tickets are available, opt for these instead of paper alternatives. Instead of printing out articles and journals, read and annotate them online. Making these small changes helps reduce the demand for paper-saving trees and reducing the CO2 created alongside this.

There are lots of ways to be a more sustainable student so whether it’s using a reusable water bottle or deleting your spam emails, everything contributes towards reducing the impact of climate change.

About our guest blogger Megan Baker:
Megan’s role at Amber is as a Marketing Executive. Day to day she runs their social media accounts, proofs and writes copy, as well as assisting the wider marketing team – no one day looks the same. She recently graduated from Cardiff University with a Masters in Marketing, and Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature. She’s previously worked for the National Museum of Wales/Amgueddfa Cymru, as well as writing for The Tab during her time at university. During her spare time she enjoys playing netball, walking her two labradoodles, and spending time with family and friends.
 

Amber:

Amber is an award-winning energy consultancy. They provide energy procurement, management, and sustainability solutions designed to support commercial businesses and property companies, like Fresh. In 2021, having met rigorous social and environmental standards, they achieved Certified B Corporation® status, further demonstrating their commitment to goals outside of making a profit and to working for the benefit of employees, clients, the wider society, and the planet.

[email protected]

www.amber.net

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