WasteNott — our progress so far

In September 2018 we launched #WasteNott — a campaign to reduce the amount of single-use plastic thrown away at the University of Nottingham. With your help we’ve seen some great early progress — but there’s still much to be done.

WasteNott aims to encourage and support the reduction of single-use plastic waste across our UK campuses. In the first phase, we’re focusing on the following areas identified in the recent Plastic Challenge Survey: single-use hot drink cups, plastic bottles, straws and plastic cutlery. You can find out more about the campaign on our FAQs page.

Though WasteNott is still in its early stages, we can already report some developments. Firstly, plastic straws have been removed from the front of house in all University-run catering outlets. Bendy plastic straws are still available on request should they be needed.

We’ve also seen more reusable hot drink cups being used around the University since the start of session. This has been supported by the implementation of a levy and discount system on disposable and reusable cups respectively, at our campus cafés. 

As of mid-November 2018:

• The use of reusable cups has saved more than 10,500 disposable cups being thrown away
• 14% of drinks have been served in reusable cups, compared to 72% in disposable cups
• More than 900 UoN KeepCups have been purchased on campus

These figures provide a solid start yet they also show that we still have a long way to go. While reusable cup use has increased over the term, so too has disposable cup use. We want to change this: our aim is to reduce the amount of single-use hot drink cups used on our UK campuses by 50% by August 2020. Find out more about our targets.

Alongside our focus on hot drink cup waste, we’re encouraging a 30% reduction in plastic bottle waste. To support this we’ve committed to installing more water coolers in accessible spaces around our campuses. These installations have been supported by the Environment Initiative Fund. Further details are currently being finalised and locations will include the Teaching and Learning Building, the Portland Building, the Medical School, Engineering Science Learning Centre (ESLC) and The Barn.

Speaking about the results of the WasteNott campaign so far, Andrew Nolan, Director of Sustainability at the University of Nottingham, said:

“I am delighted to see some positive change early in the campaign — and I know that there is much higher awareness of the issues around single-use plastics. Well done to those of you who’ve made changes to your purchasing decisions — you’re doing great things. I hope more people will follow your lead.”

Thank you to everybody who has supported the WasteNott campaign so far by asking for refills, choosing to reuse and joining the conversation in person and online.

To keep an eye on all the latest news and updates, visit the campaign website — and don’t forget to tag us in your campaign pictures on social media using the hashtag #wastenott.

The WasteNott targets:

Reuse: Use reusable drink cups and help us achieve a 50% reduction in hot drink cup waste by August 2020

Refill: Use refillable bottles and help us reduce plastic bottle waste by 30% by August 2020

Refuse: Say no to unnecessary single-use plastic