How to be a green student
Published on 7 March 13
Three final year students have given us their views on the University’s efforts to become more environmentally friendly as well as advice on how to be a green student
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As final year students at Manchester, we have found that slowly but surely the University has started to implement more environmentally sound changes to the way in which it handles many issues. Of course, it is always a case of taking the small steps to reach the bigger goal and picture, but mainly for us, we would like to see these changes furthered with students taking more of an initiative more than ever before. Paper waste is the top of our environmental agenda: as students of degree disciplines that require us to write many an essay and spend plenty of time in the library queuing to print our many pages, it is important to realise that the essays being printed and handed in all accumulate and factor in to the paper wasted and sadly, not being recycled. A positive step which the University has taken is the employment of printers which will not print a student’s work until the student swipes their student card and ID. In the past, sheets and sheets of paper were being printed on a daily basis in the library that never was picked up by its rightful owner, instead piling up to create unnecessary and unusable paper wastage. |
Naila, English Literature and Linguistics Alyazia Sabra, Environmental Management Anoud Al-Fawwaz, Town and Country Planning |
Now, we can be sure that no paper is wasted and that every student only prints what is necessary for them. Of course, this is one step in the right direction.
What many departments are slowly exercising is the use of electronic essay uploading: not only does this omit the printing completely, but is also extremely eco-friendly. This is one idea we're definitely behind: if more departments chose this form of submission, less paper would be used and all feedback could be given immediately online for students to access from home.
Increasingly all of our material is found online, so it's certainly a move in the right direction and an ethos that should be shared by all members of the University.
An encouraging sight around campus is the readily available recycling bins with their familiar coloured lids, alongside students and their reusable hug mugs and bottles. It's great to have such visible markers of students as well as staff behind the eco cause!
And alongside their reusable bottles, students we feel should take advantage of the bike sheds provided by the Universities: some are found on the main campus' (North and South) and others in student halls. Not only does it reduce carbon emissions by cycling, it is also a form of exercise rolled into one. Safety is key of course, but not enough students are encouraged to do so, opting to more readily jump on a bus. As the weather (surprisingly!) in Manchester begins to perk up, riding a bike (or walking - just pack an umbrella!) couldn't be a more attractive option.
The transport issue also raises a few points. Every student becomes so normalised by a magic bus passing them by on Oxford road every few minutes or so; but do they think about the gasses exhausted because of them? If you want to travel to the city centre, why not opt for the free city centre shuttle bus? It's free and is low carbon! They're usually brightly coloured in green, orange or purple and can take you around the city centre for free. Eco and cheap!
What's important to remember is that it takes everyone to pool together to create a difference. The University may have made many a change, but it's up to us as students to make sure more is done through campaigning, and most importantly through acting on it.