Green impact

The Information School currently holds the Silver Award for Green Impact.

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Green Impact is a sustainability accreditation scheme that runs in universities and colleges across the UK.

It helps staff and students improve their impact on the environment by providing a workbook of well-explained and straightforward actions to implement in their departments. 

The Information School currently holds the Silver Award.

Further information may be found at The University of Sheffield Green Impact website

Current projects supported by the Information School

Information School is currently supporting the following projects:

S6 Sheffield FoodBank: We collect items to donate to this great charity. View the recording of the FoodBank talk organised with Jessops West Green Impact Team

Fairtrade Foundation: Supporting Fairtrade fortnight, showcasing products in Staff Meetings and providing information to all regarding fairtrade items you can buy in supermarkets.

What is Fairtrade?

Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.

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 future and lead the dignified life everyone deserves.

Fairtrade items available in supermarkets

Healthy produce

In Sheffield, there are many places you can get fresh produce - we have created this map to highlight some of them below.

Reducing our environmental impact

The Information School is committed to minimising the environmental impact and has identified and ranked what it believes to the ten main greening opportunities.  These are:

  1. Energy use - Reduction of energy usage.
  2. Fairtrade - Raise awareness of Fairtrade and items available in shops.
  3. Food banks - Raise awareness of food banks and continue collection for Sheffield S6 FoodBank.
  4. Health eating - Raise awareness of health eating.
  5. Waste Management - Use of correct bins to separate waste.
  6. Promote sustainable transport - Raise awareness in the use of public transport (car sharing, cycling, walking routes).
  7. Air conditioning - Raise awareness of the use of air conditioning. Make sure windows are closed when air conditioning is on and turn off when not required
  8. Drinking Water - Use tap water instead of bottled and use re-usable drink bottles.
  9. Catering - Purchasing friendly food/drink
  10. Printing/photocopying - reduce by 5%.

Health and wellbeing

We encourage all staff and students to do the following:

  • Take regular exercise. The University offers inclusive exercise activities for staff, including Juice and Sport Sheffield.
  • Take regular breaks in our staff room area or visiting cafe's around the university during their lunch breaks.
  • Be proactive in discussing health and wellbeing at work, including mental health. We encourage staff to discuss these at 1-2-1's or staff meetings. You could also take part in staff clubs, or participate in local events and charity work with your colleagues.
  • Ensure they do not heat their office/lab to more than 21 degrees. The Carbon Trust recommends that workplaces should be heated between 19-21 degrees Celsius during the heating season. For every 1 degree Celsius increase the heating costs increase by 8-10%. If you require a thermometer for your office to check the temperature then please get in touch with Paul Fenn.

More information can be found on our Green Impact noticeboard in the lift lobby on the second floor of Regent Court.

If you have any queries about Green Impact then please contact Paul Fenn on p.fenn@sheffield.ac.uk.

Useful links

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