An Introduction to Sustainability at Lincoln
During the “Lincoln Welcome” induction at the University we introduce staff to sustainability at Lincoln and how they can get involved.
View our segment on sustainability below:
Page last reviewed June 2024
How do you contribute to sustainability as a member of staff?
- By saving energy. Turn off PCs and monitors when not in use, turn off lights etc.
- Take part in our “Switch off” campaigns.
- Consider your student/staff incentives, avoid single use items, and choose to buy locally or items made with sustainably sourced materials.
- Recycle. In 22/23, 34.8% of University waste was recycled. We have opportunity to increase our recycling rates. All recycling must be clean and dry in order to avoid contaminating the recycling stream.
- Reduce waste. By opting to reuse, repurpose or assess previous purchases staff are able to reduce the overall waste generated by the University. In 20/21 the University produced 348 tonnes of waste.
- Use reusable cups when purchasing drinks from FoodLinc, and bring water bottles. Water fountains are available for use throughout the campus.
- Take part in sustainable travel; including bike hire & car sharing when commuting.
- Volunteer – Join our Staff Sustainability Advocacy Scheme, support the gardens on campus, take part in biodiversity surveys, litterpicks and more!
What is a Staff Sustainability Advocate?
A Staff Sustainability Advocate is a member of staff who champions environmental initiatives and sustainable ways of working in their department or college.
This person disseminates relevant information, engages colleagues at a local level and leads by example in best practice. This might be leading their own sustainability campaigns or projects, sending out emails, promoting volunteer roles and raising awareness in team meetings.
Members of our network will meet a few times a year with the Sustainability Team, who will offer support and the opportunity to submit ideas. They may also be asked to promote sustainability messages by following us on social media and sharing campaign messages when appropriate.
The Sustainability Team will be available for the advocates to come to with new suggestions or ideas, or to provide support and advice in implementing new initiatives within their area.
If you would like to join the network, you can register your interest by emailing environment@lincoln.ac.uk. You can also visit our project page at the bottom of this page for further information and ideas as to how you can get involved.
Our quarterly meetings will be confirmed for 2024/2025 when the academic schedule has been finalised.
- Autumn Meeting – in person
- Winter Meeting – online
- Spring meeting – in person
- Summer meeting – online
Education for Sustainable Development
Carbon Literacy Training
The Sustainability Team are trained to deliver Carbon Literacy Training to all staff within the University.
This course can be tailored to fit the College or Professional Service Department requesting the training or delivered as a full course to staff from different areas; it aims to increase environmental sustainability awareness and introduce staff to the impact both themselves and the University has on the world.
If you would like to take part in the training, please logon to the Staff Training Portal and register for upcoming training sessions.
Introduction to Sustainability
The Sustainability Team is available to deliver “A guide to sustainability at the University: Toolbox Talk” to staff during departmental/school meetings. This is a 30 minute presentation which will be tailored to how the school or department directly impacts sustainability at the University; it will give staff the opportunity to ask questions, and provide solutions or suggestions as to how they could improve their impact.
Academic Staff – Integrate sustainability into your course structure
The University is actively encouraging our Academic Staff to include sustainability elements into their courses and the Sustainability Team is available to support these initiatives.
Further information about our Education for Sustainable Development can be found here.
In addition to this, the Sustainability Team regularly deliver guest lectures within a number of schools including the School of Geography, School of Design and the Lincoln Business School.
Academic staff are invited to contact Rebecca Mills, Head of Sustainability, if they are interested in having one of the team deliver a lecture, seminar or workshop for students.
Waste Management
Technicians and other members of staff involved in the disposal of general waste and hazardous waste are able to take part in Waste Management training, which will look at compliance in regards to storing and disposing of waste on campus.
If you would like the opportunity to take part in training, please email environment@lincoln.ac.uk
Environmental Films
We have a fantastic collection of films that can be made available to staff and students. Please email environment@lincoln.ac.uk for further information of the films on offer.