Keep your home toasty warm this winter with FREE cavity wall and loft insulation!

As part of the ‘Get Me Toasty’ campaign, all Salford homeowners and private tenants can now get cavity wall and loft insulation free of charge (subject to survey).

Fitting the insulation takes less than half a day but you’ll get years of benefits from it:

-       You can turn your heating down and save up to £250 a year on your bills!

-       Rooms will warm up faster and there’s less chance of damp and condensation forming

-       Reduce your home’s ‘carbon footprint’

This offer, brought to you by Salford City Council and the Energy Saving Trust, is only available for a limited time so call 0800 512 012 today to find out more. Alternatively you can visit www.getmetoasty.com

Welcome Week 2011 Review

The Green Superhero! - The Sustainability
teams mascot

Phew! We have finally got our breath back after a busy and exciting Welcome Week 2011! The Sustainability Team spent four fun filled days in the Welcome Expo talking to new and current students about the range of initiatives they can get involved in with amount of sign ups reaching treble figures! 

So many new students were keen to learn more about our programmes over the forthcoming year so here is a review of the week combined with a look at what we have going on this year!

The cycle powered smoothie
maker in action!

One of the main highlights was our bicycle powered smoothie maker. The bike aimed to show students how much energy it takes to power normal household electrical appliances.

The fruit used was Fairtrade certified meaning the farmers got a good price for their product as well as a premium to use towards healthcare, education or setting up co-operatives within their local communities. Thank you to everyone who took part!!

We also gave out yummy samples of a new Fairtrade product, Easy Bean, who make delicious one-pot meals using Fairtrade produce. These were very popular especially the African Palava, mmmmmm!. They can be bought in your local Sainsbury’s and Waitrose now.

Biodiversity Walks

The biodiversity walks are a great
way to learn about the campus

Our biodiversity walks were also very popular considering that it rained on Tuesday morning! Our wonderful Wildlife Conservation students lead two groups of new students around Peel Campus and Park introducing them to the local wildlife and plants and talking about their characteristics, folklore and alternative uses. Seasonal biodiversity walks will be led throughout the year but if you can’t wait that long we have a tree walk around Peel Campus which you can do at any time. Simple go to http://www.estates.salford.ac.uk/page/Tree%20Walk to get all the tree information you will need.

Textile Recycling

Welcome Week was a great place to kick-off our main campaign of the year - textile recycling. Loads of students have shown an interest in our Sew Good Workshops where students will be taught how to mend clothing and up-cycle their old clothes. Other textile recycling events happening this semester are a Swishing Party, the newest must do student activity where students swap good clothing they no longer need, and also a clothing fair. More information can be found on our website, www.estates.salford.ac.uk/environment. 

Student Masterchef

University head chef Garry Turner with

last years Masterchef competitors

Another big winner was our Masterchef competition sign-up. Are you interested in showing off your culinary expertise? Well sign up today! You and a friend will form a team competing to be Salford University’s Student Masterchef Winners 2011. All the food will be supplied and guidance given by the University’s head chef, Garry Turner. 

Community Allotments

Also along the theme of food, ever wanted to learn to grow your own food? The University has recently built its own community allotment where students will grow food for the Students Union as well as learn how to grow their own with the help of knowledgeable gardeners. If you are interested please email eps-sustainability@salford.ac.uk.

Sustainable Travel

Travel was certainly popular at this year’s event! Useful advice was given to new students on all forms of transport to the University including how to save money on bus and train travel and where to get your bike repaired for cheap. 

The University’s Bike User Group (BUG) saw many new students sign up to join the growing numbers of cyclists at the University. The BUG is also looking for keen students (and staff) who want to share information and advice about all aspects biking and help to improve facilities here on campus.  

A car sharing scheme is also available to students and staff - sign up to the scheme and you could find someone with similar travel patterns to you allowing you to save on your travel costs. You don’t need to have a car to be part of the scheme or if you are already part of an informal car sharing partnership you can sign up to save money and get car sharing benefits. www.estates.salford.ac.uk/page/Car_Sharing. 

We had a great week at the event and look forward to all of our schemes getting underway; we hope that they will be useful and enjoyable!

If you missed us at the Welcome Expo and would like any information on the activities and groups mentioned here or want to sign up please email eps-sustainability@salford.ac.uk.

University Car Share Scheme now available

The University has this week launched a new car sharing scheme to encourage more sustainable car use and to help staff and students save on their travel costs.

The scheme aims to match up staff and students and allow them take advantage of the thousands of empty car seats that are available every day.

As part of the University’s commitment to “encouraging alternative methods of transport to single-occupancy car journeys”, the scheme involves two or more people travelling to the University together in the same vehicle.

 

Participants who wish to join the scheme will see a significant saving in fuel costs as well as saving on car parking charges and an improved work-life balance as the new arrangement ensures they leave work on time.

 

There are also the social benefits of sharing the journey with like-minded colleagues or course mates.

 

In turn, there will be a potential reduction in the pressure for car park spaces and reductions in carbon emissions, which will help to meet the University’s strategic targets.

 

A locally developed website – CarShareGM – is designed to help employees and students to match up with any potential sharers, based on their residential proximity and work/course patterns.

 

To take part in the scheme, simply register your details on the site, choose the University of Salford as your place of work and input your journey details.

 

Once a successful journey match has been found, both recipients will receive notification and can arrange to meet and discuss feasibility.

 

If both car sharers are existing drivers they are eligible for a car share permit, which is half the price of a normal permit, to be shared between whichever vehicle is being brought onto campus.

 

For full information see here http://www.estates.salford.ac.uk/page/car_sharing

Lights out for incandescent bulbs

The time has now come to say good-bye to the 60W light bulb as the EU ban on 60W incandescent light bulbs comes into effect on the 1^st September 2011. 

Already 75W, 100W, and all clear incandescent bulbs have been banned in terms of manufacturing and importing of into the EU. Retailers are still allowed to store and sell these light bulbs until stocks run out. 

The phasing out of incandescent light bulbs is seen as a major step towards cutting the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions. Dr Matt Prescott, writer of the blog ‘Ban the Bulb’, suggests that the move could save the UK between 2 and 5 million tonnes of CO₂ a year depending on how much electricity is generated.  

The older tungsten filament light bulbs were known to be inefficient producing light as well as heat and having shorter life spans than newer energy saving light bulbs. 

Some of the advantages to energy saving light bulbs are:

• They can run up to 10,000 hours before they need to be changed.
• They use up to 80% less electricity than a standard bulb.
• An energy saving light bulb saves £2.70 per year on energy bills or £37 for a whole house.
• Dimmable bulbs are now available.
• The invention of ‘soft tone’ bulbs has given them a warmer glow.

(Source: Energy Saving Trust)

Energy saving light bulbs includes Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), Energy Saving Halogen Light Bulbs and LED Lights. If you are unsure look for the energy saving logo on the packaging.

Remember: Do not throw away old light bulbs into glass recycling as it contains metal filaments, put them in your general waste bin. For energy saving light bulbs take them to your local recycling centre as they may contain Mercury and need dedicated recycling bins.

Rail season ticket loan scheme available from September

From September, the University will be operating a new season ticket loan scheme in conjunction with Northern Rail, which offers an easy and affordable way to save money on rail travel.

 

The University will offer staff an annual season ticket through the Northern Rail Corporate Season Ticket Scheme, with the full cost of the ticket being recovered through salary payments over a period of up to 12 months.

 

The price is based on 40 weeks’ commuting, which potentially offers up to 12 weeks’ free travel per year, including weekends.

 

The season tickets will be valid on all trains (not just Northern services) between two chosen stations, such as your home and Salford Crescent.  If you only travel within Greater Manchester, you can also purchase a Greater Manchester Traincard through the scheme, which is currently £787.

 

The cost of the annual season ticket will vary according to the location of your home station but prices can be obtained from Northern Rail's season ticket calculator: http://www.northernrail.org/travel/season-ticket-calculator.

 

Andy Binder, Travel & Transport Officer at the University, said: ““With rail fares set to rise above the rate of inflation in January, we are pleased to be able to offer this scheme, which will help colleagues who travel to the University by rail make savings on their ticket.

 

“If you travel to University by train four days a week or more, for example, then the annual season ticket will save you money on your commuting journey.”

 

Applications for the scheme will be open from Monday, September 5 when full details will be available here http://www.estates.salford.ac.uk/page/Train.

Cycle to Work Scheme will launch in September

From September, employees will be able to participate in a new University-supported Cycle to Work Scheme.

As part of the University’s commitment to encouraging sustainable methods of travel, the scheme will provide staff with the use of a bike and safety equipment.  There is also a financial incentive as the initiative is an HM Revenue and Customs-approved salary sacrifice scheme, meaning there are significant tax and National Insurance savings available.

Applications to join the scheme will be possible during two periods each year – September and March. However, to mark the launch of the scheme, the initial period for submitting applications will be extended to the end of October 2011.

Andy Binder, Travel & Transport Officer, said: “The Cycle to Work Scheme will bring many benefits to staff wishing to cycle to the University.

“There are financial savings on the bike itself and then potential fuel, parking and public transport savings by cycling to the University.  Cycling is also a great way to fit exercise into your daily routine, as well as helping to contribute to a cleaner environment.”

More details on the Cycle to Work Scheme will follow shortly.  In the meantime, check out the Sustainable Travel homepage to explore your travel options.

New tram line improves connections to the University

A new Metrolink line has opened this month that has increased sustainable travel links to the University.

Anyone travelling from the Chorlton area can now change at Cornbrook and board a service direct to the MediaCityUK tram stop which opened in 2010. The journey will only take about 25 minutes.

Staff and students wishing to travel on to the main University site on the Crescent can then board the new and free Salford QuaysLink service for the short journey across Salford.

The new line branches off from the existing Altrincham line and features three new stops at Firwood, Chorlton and St. Werburgh's Road. Further extensions to Withington and Didsbury are also ongoing.

For more information see the Metrolink website.