RECYCLING 

• Confidential paper waste – there are multiple confidential waste bins in the office, and at each MFD (Xerox printer/copier). Bags and tags are located in the stationery cupboard. ‌
• Non-confidential paper – you can place any A4 paper printed on one side only into the cardboard tray on the 'Green' table. This can be reused internally as notepaper, etc. Alternatively, please use paper bins in the office.
• Plastic – plastic bottles can be disposed of in the bins located in the kitchens.
• Cardboard – leave at the repro rooms. Please flat pack all boxes.
• Cans – bins for metal cans are found in the kitchens.
• Batteries – there is a receptacle for used batteries on the 'Green' table and in the Student Guidance Centre reception.
• Books – if you have books you no longer want but they’re still in good condition, you’re encouraged to reuse rather than recycle these. Find out more. To arrange an uplift of your donations, contact the admin team. We also have a book swap in the office. Take one - leave one!
• Glass – glass jars, bottles etc can be left in the glass recycling box on the 'Green' table. Please remove any lids and rinse of food residue. For a location map of the glass recycling containers on Campus, click here.
• Toners – leave empty printer toners in the recycling box in the repro room.

Details of further recycling facilities will be added to this page once they become available. Further information can be found in the A-Z Guide to Waste and Recycling.  

ENERGY

Please turn off lights if you are last to leave a room, switch off appliances at the socket at the end of the working day and turn off any electrical items during the day if they are not in use (except for the Xerox MFDs). Monitors should be set to go into standby mode after five minutes of inactivity. Turn of your monitors at the end of the day or if leaving the office for more than 5 minutes.

Turn down any radiators that aren’t needed, making sure they aren't blocked by boxes or furniture and use windows for ventilation if needed. Use of personal heaters or desk fans is discouraged.

Take the stairs, rather than the lift. Save energy AND get fit!

If you come across any heating issues, drips or draughts in the building, report promptly to the admin team for action.

Teleconferencing can be used as an alternative to travelling to meetings. The Student Guidance Centre has wifi throughout the building means you can also use Skype. Ask at Reception if you need further information about this. In addition, the University offers video-conferencing facilities. More information.

 REDUCING WASTE AND EFFECTIVE USE OF RESOURCES

Printing from your computer is automatically set to double-sided, but remember to manually select this option on the MFDs when you’re photocopying.

Incoming envelopes are collected at the 'Green' desk.

Almost all of our meeting rooms are equipped with large screens and wifi access, so it’s easy to go paperless! If you choose this option, advise visitors in advance that documents will be shown on a screen during the meeting so they might not need hard copies. If you have a query about room facilities, get in touch with the admin team.

When you’re producing publications such as brochures, reports, etc, only order what you need. Make PDF copies available online.

Reuse your travel mug as much as possible! Local coffee shops often offer incentives such as money off your drink or extra loyalty stamps, so always ask. If they don't, this might even encourage them to implement one. We also have spare mugs available in the kitchenette.

When ordering catering you can request they don’t provide disposable paper cups and #LugYourMug.

Keep a reusable water bottle/glass with you, there's a filtered water tap in this kitchen, and another in the ground floor kitchen.

If you are ordering catering from internal or external suppliers, please ask them to ensure that, as far as possible, they are using locally produced, seasonal food. This limits the air miles associated with food brought in unnecessarily from other countries. 

WARPit, the University’s corporate E-bay/Freecycle network, allows staff to redistribute unwanted and underused assets within Queen’s. This avoids unnecessary purchases, saving money and reducing waste going to landfill. Details on how to use this facility can be found here. Register now!

 Travel

The Cycle+ scheme allows staff to purchase a bicycle and safety equipment, and receive National Insurance and Income Tax discounts through a salary sacrifice scheme. Further information on the scheme is available at www.qub.ac.uk/cycleplus, including 2018 dates for the popular 'Cycle to Work Breakfast' events. Put them in your calendar now!

The University hosts an annual second-hand bike sale, normally in September. Dates will be confirmed on this page. In the meantime, you can purchase one from the East Belfast Mission or Green Bicycle Company. Or use Belfast Bikes, which has 40 docking stations across the city.

Details of the nearest secure cycle storage are available at the university Cycle Plus site.

The Student Guidance Centre building has a shower next to the kitchen on the 2nd floor, for use by all Student Guidance Centre staff. There are also other similar facilities throughout the University. Locations of these and the form to request access can be found here.

The cycle mileage allowance for travelling by bicycle on University business is 20p per mile.

Information on the University's car-sharing scheme can be viewed here or perhaps you could arrange to travel with a colleague if you’re both going to the same area for meetings, placement visits, fieldwork interviews, etc.

Encourage external visitors to use more energy efficient forms of transport, such as cycling or public transport. Direct them here for further details on travelling to/from the University.

The University has an interest-free loan scheme for staff to buy bus or rail passes.

Visit the Sustainable Transport & Travel website for more information on all of the above.

 Staff Wellbeing

The University organises regular Staff Wellbeing events. Keep an eye out for their emails, or visit their website.

 BIODIVERSITY FRIENDLY AND FAIRTRADE PRODUCTS

As we use more of our natural resources we are destroying the natural habitat of many species. For example, expanding production and pulp wood harvesting threatens some of the last remaining natural forests and the people and wildlife that depend on them. We can help reverse this by using biodiversity-friendly products at work and in our home. These include FSC certified wood products, Rainforest Alliance products, responsible clothing choices such as People Tree, and alternative cleaning products like Bio D and Neal’s Yard.

With Fairtrade you have the power to change the world every day. With simple shopping choices, you can get farmers a better deal. And that means they can make their own decisions, control their futures and lead the dignified life everyone deserves.

 Contact

If you have suggestions for Green events or environmental initiatives, contact the Green Team. We value your input! New members are always welcome, so please get in touch with Lina if you'd like to sign up.

Follow us on Twitter for lots of fun photos and tips, and regularly check our ' Green' noticeboard!