Environment

Environmental Sustainability at Linacre College

Linacre College is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and to mitigating its impact on the natural environment, doing so through a variety of Sustainability measures.

The College strives to share and promote this ethos amongst Linacre students, as they have the greatest capacity to reduce waste, energy and water usage, and carbon emissions. Sustainable living practices can be most effectively fostered in Linacre accommodations, and as such the College hopes that Linacre students will develop and retain eco-friendly habits that they will carry with them through and after the duration of their studies at the University of Oxford.

Linacre's CR Executive Team hosts an Environment Officer who is responsible for organising environmentally-oriented projects, ranging from energy, to building design, to recycling and more. Linacre College additionally employs two Green Students, one of which is responsible for the promotion of Behavioural Change and the other of which is involved in Technical Support. Brief student profiles of the Environment Officer and Green Students can be seen below.

Linacre College also hosts a Green Society, which is a student group that facilitates sustainability-oriented events throughout the year and connects students to environmental events and opportunities in Oxford. Similarly, the College hosts an Allotment Society, a group which promotes environmental sustainability through the management of a garden space allotment on one of Linacre's off-site accommodations.

Behavioural Change Green Student | Melis Karabulutoglu
melis.karabulutoglu@linacre.ox.ac.uk

   President of Green Society

     Melis, or Mel is a DPhil student in Oncology Department, investigating the effect of diet and metabolism on leukemia development following radiation exposure. She will be the first point of contact between students and the rest of the green team. Melis will run Linacre Green Society during 19/20 academic year and work closely with the CR Environment Officer to integrate sustainable practices into everyday lifestyles, as well as organise awareness-raising events – with fun twists, of course! Let's spread, inspire and engage for sustainable life. Together we can make better and be better! Be on the lookout for Linacre Green Society events, meetings and posters. She can be contacted with any queries at green@linacre.ox.ac.uk or melis.karabulutoglu@linacre.ox.ac.uk 

       Being green is more than just buying ‘eco’. It is an unshakable commitment to a sustainable lifestyle!

Sustainable Living at Linacre College

While Linacre College is well known for its structural capacity to reduce waste and emissions, students can offer the greatest contribution to reducing the College's environmental footprint. Below we have provided a number of suggestions to reduce your environmental footprint. Reduce your impact on the earth and other livings!

Make Linacre greener all the time!

Energy and Electricity Savings
 

Lights

• Turn off the lights every time you leave a space that is no longer being used, including your room or shared spaces (bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms).
• If natural daylight is available, use that instead of turning on your lights.

Heating

• Before you turn to your radiator, put on more layers.
• When leaving your room, turn off your radiator.

Washing

• When doing your laundry, use cold water or low temperatures for the wash.  
• Use the minimum amount of time and heat needed to dry your clothes in the dryer! This saves energy and your clothes.

Other appliances

• When using a kettle to warm water, only fill it with as water as you require.
• Unplug unused appliances, and shut laptop computers down instead of putting them to sleep to reduce energy usage and reduce the need for chargers.
• For appliances that do not require constant usage, use surge protectors with multiple inputs that can be turned off.
   

Water Conservation

Taps

• Do not leave the tap on when brushing your teeth or lathering your hands with soap.
• Be sure to make sure all dripping taps and showerheads are completely turned off. If still leaking, report to maintenance to repair.

Washing

• When doing laundry, only put in full loads into the washer and use any express functions. Your clothes do not need to use water for 1.5 hours at a time, and can be adequately washed in twenty minutes.
• Hang your laundry to dry outside if facilities allow.
• Wash plates, utensils, and glasses with only as much water as you need.

Shower habits

• Reduce the length of your showers to five minutes or less.
• When applying shampoo or soap, lower the strength of the water or turn off the shower completely.
   

Waste Reduction

Reduce

• Be mindful of products that use a lot of packaging, and try to purchase those that use as little as possible.
• Instead of purchasing plastic water bottles and repeatedly having to recycle them, purchase a reusable stainless steel canteen and use the tap. Tap water is safe and well-regulated here.
• Reduce your food waste usage by limiting portion sizes.
• Eat better meat but a lot less of it! Learn a few vegetarian recipes, try a vegetarian restaurant. Be adventurous! Try something new!

Reuse

• Look online for clever ways to reuse products instead of throwing them away (e.g. some milk cartons can be used as wallets).
• Save one-sided sheets of paper for scrap, and always print double-sided and with multiple pages on one sheet.

Recycle

• Plastics, metals, glass, battery and paper: if you are unsure whether something is recyclable: look on its label, check out Oxford City Council’s guides, or perform a quick Google Search.
• To recycle batteries please check out the battery recycling box at Linacre college reception.
• Apply for and use the food waste bins available for any Oxford accommodation. Place any food scraps and leftover food products into them.
• If you are unsure where to find recycling bins and for other tips/questions please get in touch with your Green Student and/or Environmental Officer! 

Oxford Food Caddy Recycling System

The college supports students recycling their food waste and scraps using the Oxford City Council’s food recycling system. To apply for a food caddy for college housing, students should email Karen Morris with their housing details.

Please be aware that it is the student’s responsibility to keep the caddy clean and to bring the waste to the outside bin on a daily basis. If hygiene standards are not maintained, the bin will be removed.

To obtain extra caddy liners, please email housekeeping.

Recycling food waste is a great way to engage with the sustainable stance of Linacre College, and the Linacre Green Society strongly recommends everyone gets a food recycling caddy for their kitchen!

Environmental Events in Oxford

If you are looking for any lectures or events on campus with any relation to environmental issues or topics, Oxford Networks for the Environment provides a whole page with listed events throughout the year.