Choose to reuse for a more sustainable future

 

What you need to know about our campaign on single use plastic

At DMU we are working to reduce plastic use on campus as part of our commitment to support the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Each year, 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced globally, of which, 40% is single use plastic which will only be used once before it is disposed of. In the UK, for example, we throw away an estimated 2.5bn disposable coffee cups annually - almost all of which are incinerated, exported or sent to landfill because their plastic lining makes them difficult to recycle. The wider effects of plastic waste were recently highlighted on BBC One's Blue Planet II, which showed marine life suffering from ingesting buckets, toothpicks and more - each year an estimated 100,000 sea animals die as a result of plastic.

As part of DMU's commitment to the SDG's we have taken several steps to reduce single use plastics on campus, including:

• Introducing a 25p levy for all hot drinks purchased in a disposable cup on campus
• Introducing more crockery across our catering outlets,
• Replacing plastic cutlery with wooden, compostable, cutlery,
• Introducing enhanced recycling facilities in our food court area, and
• Installing further water fountains and refill points on campus, bringing the total to more than 60. Please click here for a full list of the locations.

 

What else can I do to reduce plastic use?

Here are some simple steps to reduce plastic use:

1.  Use a reusable carrier bag for your shopping
2.  Use a reusable mug when purchasing hot drinks
3.  Carry a reusable water bottle and make use of the refill points on campus and in the city
4.  Say no to disposable plastic cutlery
5.  Avoid products which are heavily packaged in plastic