Blog by Dr Maggy Fostier, FBMH Associate Dean for Environmental Sustainability. 

Welcome to the 7th edition of the FBMH Environmental Sustainability (ES) Good Newsletter. The University is progressing well with its ES agenda, and we are continuing to coordinate efforts across Faculties and the central ES team to maximise outreach and to engage everyone on campus and beyond.  

At University level, we have a lot to celebrate:

• The University is placed 10th worldwide and 5th in the UK in the latest QS World University Sustainability Rankings. One of our key projects is the solar farm in Medebridge, now supplying up to 65% of our electricity. 
• The University launched two new apps: No Time to Waste and CommuteUoM. They provide tips, help calculate impact and you can earn Green Points that can be redeemed for vouchers by completing eco-friendly actions. 
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• The University has been awarded two-star Fairtrade University status (out of three stars) by the Fairtrade Foundation and Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS‑UK).  

• The University’s catering services have been awarded the highest three-star accreditation in the 2025 Food Made Good Standard, due to progress in prioritising plant-based milk and meals. 

• The University has now diverted all waste from landfill as of March 2026. 

There is a lot going on at University level and you can keep up to date by following us on Instagram (@bmhsocialresponsibility), visiting the Faculty’s intranet page, website or contacting srbmh@manchester.ac.uk.   

At Faculty level, we keep making progress on our strategic goals : 

The central targets are being refreshed and will be announced in the autumn, along with the new faculty targets, but the headlines remain similar. 

Engaging all Faculty wet labs by December 2026 with LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework) and 6R (Review, Reduce, Reuse Refill, Replace, Recycle).   

• May figures: 94% of our PIs have a LEAF champion and 86% of PIs have a LEAF award (36% Bronze, 29% Silver, 35% Gold). I urge PIs of wet laboratories with no champion or award to take immediate action. Read our blog to find out more or contact srbmh@manchester.ac.uk.  

• I’m delighted by the relaunch of our LEAF SharePoint as a University wide site, which features resources, contacts etc for our Faculties. This is a great example of collaboration and coordination of efforts as an institution. Access the SharePoint. 

• We are setting up a new LEAF award renewal process, as LEAF only acknowledges awards that are less than two years old. More news to follow with a pilot in June and scaled up roll out in autumn. 

• Green DiSC and SparkHub are open-access platforms for greening research that complement LEAF (which is best suited for wet labs). The University is currently reviewing how we can implement these platforms with our research. More news on this to follow in autumn. 

Reduce energy consumption on campus 

• We encourage everyone to implement a ‘Switch-Off’ process within your office/lab spaces so that it becomes part of your normal working weeks. Find out more on website of what to think about when implementing a switch off in your office or lab.  

• We are looking to host a Freezer challenge campaign in spring and summer. This will focus on our cold storage and associated air conditioning which has a large energy use. More news to follow. 

• Data centres are currently resource intensive (electricity/water) and there is limited circular economy for hardware – it is key to get a grip on how much data storage we use (Digital declutter: Tidy up your online storage), and limit AI use to worthy tasks. 

Travel  

• The current UoM Travel Plan aims to encourage more sustainable transportation options for our campus users while also ensuring fairness and affordability. It includes halving our aviation footprint compared to pre-Covid, but this number keeps cropping up. It is important that you follow the travel policy for long distance meetings.   

Rehoming and recycling waste produced through our operations   

• The LabGoods4Reuse scheme slowed down due to complications with the new storage room in Stopford, but this is the first port of call for Stopford, Smith, AV Hill and CTF for donation or free items. 

• The Manchester Surgical Skills and Simulation Centre (MSSSC) runs the RECLAIM initiative, which collects donated, out-of-date or unsuitable surgical items from Manchester Foundation Trust (MFT) hospitals and repurposes them for surgical training – saving these items from going in the waste. 

• We are expanding our action to collect, launder and redistribute students lab coats and clinical uniforms – the whole Faculty is almost covered.  

• Earlier in March, two annual observances gave us a chance to reflect on our waste management practices: Global Recycling Day and International Day of Zero Waste. From recycling better to using reusable containers, everybody can play a part in making the University a cleaner environment.  

Supporting green spaces on campus that promote biodiversity whilst offering enjoyment and opportunities for nature-based learning or well-being activities.   

• Gardening teams of staff and students are now established in several buildings (Stopford, Smith, Carys Banister). We encourage you to use these spaces for a quiet moment, a coffee break, or lunch. At Stopford reception, we also have a free to borrow game library for outside or inside – use it for yourself or for an event.  

• We will be hosting our annual ES showcase event in June where we are shining a spotlight on our Faculty Quads. Find out more and register on Eventbrite. 

 Embedding sustainability in our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.  

• After a successful pilot to embed ES in our MSci program and as part of the project report, we are now aiming to expand this scheme to all Master’s programs and eventually all Y1 PhD (wet and dry lab) 

• Our provision of ES in all our curricula is progressing at pace, and we are working cross schools to produce a toolkit delivered via a SharePoint site. 

Promoting engagement with sustainability on campus: 

• The Sustainability in Healthcare society organised in March the first student-led conference on Sustainability in Healthcare: a vision of 2036. Under the leadership of Harshini Suresh and Ashley Thian, the conference delivered a live panel discussion, three workshops and five interactive exhibitions. 30 students from FBMH and other Faculties explored what a sustainable healthcare system could look like in ten years, and how we could get there. This was a fantastic event with some great discussions and we plan to reuse some of the material for events and in our teaching. Find out more on our blogsite. 

• Our student Eco-champions have been amazing this year. Under the leadership of two student coordinators: Sara Shaqiri and Yixuan Dong, 40 eco-champions volunteer their time for campaigns, eco-craft workshops and gardening. Find out more on our blogsite. 

• The School of Health Sciences (SHS) Environmental Sustainability Champions Network continues to engage staff and students through a wide range of interactive events and initiatives, including welcome week stalls, eco-crafting activities, and participation in the Universally Manchester Festival. These activities promote practical sustainability actions and support the embedding of sustainability into teaching and learning across SHS. Find out more on our blogsite. 

• The off the record society organised a pub quiz on sustainability (please contact Maggy if you want the quiz) 

There is a lot going on in ES with the Faculty and we hope to update you more soon. 

Best wishes, 
Maggy 

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