Sustainability

Green Templeton College is committed to working collectively for a sustainable future. We recognise that the actions and choices of our community have a huge impact on the college’s environmental footprint, with around 250 students living in our accommodation and many more coming to dine and use the facilities. We are committed to working sustainably and embedding sustainable thinking through education.

The college will be applying for our Green Impact Award this year and every action counts.
Share your ideas with the GCR Committee on continued improvement to sustainability around college.

What we do

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• Capital expenditure programme with specific energy reduction targets
• Low energy lighting throughout our sites where possible
• Electrical equipment with best energy rating
• Recycling food, plastics, cans, paper, timber, metals, oils, cardboard and batteries throughout our sites
• Recycling electrical waste throughout our sites
• Composting green waste throughout our sites and reuse of compost on our gardens
• Paperless communications programme
• Travel plan to encourage staff to use public transport
• Fairtrade sugar, bananas, tea, coffee, chocolate and biscuits
• Our main kitchen are looking at initiatives to work with local homeless charities to supply food that would otherwise go to waste
• Local controls on radiators in rooms
• Secondary glazing and heat loss reduction programme in planning
• Recycling of clothing, books and other items through British Heart Foundation collection at the end of the year
• Provision of storage facilities to enable students to take public transport when travelling

How the Green Templeton community can help

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• Report dripping taps immediately
• Turn your heating down or off before opening your window
• Turn off your lights, computer, chargers and any other electrical equipment when you go out
• Recycle with care as everything in the recycling bin goes to landfill if it is contaminated.
• Take your own glass bottles to the recycling bins externally
• Take short showers
• Wash clothes at 30°C
• Use a bag for life or reuse a bag if you go shopping
• Use a reusable drinks bottle or flask to reduce single use plastic where you can
• Share your ideas through the GCR officers

Pack for Good – British Heart Foundation scheme in collaboration with Oxford University colleges

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Donations to the British Heart Foundation (BHF) funds research into all heart and circulatory diseases and their risk factors, and currently provides the salaries for around 500 post-doctoral scientists who work in research team’s right across the UK on projects to better understand how to diagnose, prevent, treat and cure hear disease. University colleges that partner with the ‘Pack for Good’ campaign enable BHF shops to receive a regular supply of donations to raise these vital funds.

You can read their 2019 Evaluation & Impact Report and contribute by donating any unwanted goods to seasonal collections at college, or find a local collection point.