Tag Archives: Campus sustainability

Community notice, Sustainability, Wellbeing

Cycle with Confidence!

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Gain the skills to negotiate traffic with confidence!

Is riding a bike to uni, work, to the local shops or around town your goal? Then this the opportunity to get practical, personalised advice in a safe, supportive and fun environment!

Join the UC Sustainability Office for two free workshops designed to get you out and enjoying Ōtautahi Christchurch by bike (and saving some serious $$) this spring:

Session One | Tuesday 20 September will be covering cycle safety skills and techniques in an off-road setting. 

Session Two | Tuesday 27 September will be putting these into practice on the cycleways and quiet roads surrounding UC.

It’s recommended you attend both sessions (if you can) to get the most from the experience.

A few details:

  • Sessions are held on and around UC’s campus during the lunch hour (12pm – 12.50pm)
  • There is no cost to attend
  • No bike? No worries! Loan bikes and helmets can be provided on request.

The sessions will be led by Paul from Odlin Cycle Coaching, run in collaboration between the UC Sustainability Office and the Christchurch City Council. 

Registration is essential as spaces are limited. Email chloe.sutton@canterbury.ac.nz for more details and to register.

Sustainability

Need a flat challenge to get you through winter?

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Take action on plastic pollution, and get involved in Plastic Free July!

Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution. By empowering individuals, communities, and businesses to choose to refuse single-use plastics, together we can make a huge impact. Will you come on the journey with us next month?

At UC, we’re walking the talk when it comes to reducing plastics – and you can too. This July we’ve got an epic line-up of events, canvassed experts for their opinions, delved into the latest UC research and we’re looking at our waste on campus to examine this issue and solutions from all angles.

Plastic Free July – Say No to the Big Four:

  • plastic produce and shopping bags
  • plastic straws
  • disposable coffee cups
  • plastic water bottles

Plastic Free July and UC’s waste planning

Plastic pollution is a global issue, but it’s local too! PFJ is an opportunity for our community to help achieve UC’s waste reduction goals. The 2022-2030 Waste Plan sets out five targets are designed to reduce our waste to landfill and improve recycling and organic material diversion.

Our most recent waste audit showed that:

  • Our campus community is only diverting two thirds of recycling by weight
  • Organics are making up one third of landfill, with a further 15% being ‘compostable packaging’ items that could have easily been diverted.
  • 78% of compostable packaging is being disposed of to landfill rather than to the compostable packaging bins.

We know that together, we can do better. So, take a step – be it big or small – towards waste reduction and join other staff and students in taking the Plastic Free July Challenge today!

Get involved on campus 

Keep an eye on the Sustainability Office’s website to see how to see how you can take action during July. Stay tuned on socials to hear inspiring stories and UC research highlights, and take the opportunity to get stuck into practical waste reduction activities and connection events (like beeswax wrap workshops and craft-a-noons).

We’re looking forward to seeing you out there (with your reusables) on campus next month!

 

Sustainability, Wellbeing

UC cycles to victory! And so can you…

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UC staff have been putting in the mahi as part of  annual Aotearoa Bike Challenge last month, with 237 staff cycling 46,315 kms and saving 5,292kg co2 during the month of February alone!

Their epic efforts resulted in UC coming second in Christchurch (but first in the education sector!), and third overall in Aotearoa for our staff size category. Ka mau te wehi!

Is this making you feel a little bit proud of your uni? Want to be part of UC’s carbon crushing community too? Check out this fab article in CANTA by masters student Emily Ward and see her top 5 reasons why biking made her a changed woman, and be inspired!

Don’t forget UC offers heaps of cool things for students and staff who bike to campus  – like free bike servicing and repairs, community events, showers, covered bike stands and more. Learn more about UC’s bike facilities here.