Rethinking resources and circularity
Creating a more sustainable campus means rethinking how we use and value materials, products and resources.
Across the University, we are working to reduce consumption, increase reuse, improve recycling and minimise the environmental impacts associated with procurement and waste management. This includes supporting responsible purchasing, encouraging repair and reuse, and finding innovative ways to reduce resource use.
We apply circular principles and a comprehensive approach to sustainable procurement to minimise the environmental impact of our activities whilst also generating social and economic value for our community.
Resource efficiency and circular economy
We are committed to reducing the consumption of materials, energy and water across our estate and operations, and increasing the circularity of resources.
Our approach focusses on making the best possible use of the resources we already have, while embedding resource efficiency into everyday decision making. This includes:
- Keeping existing assets in use for longer
- Supporting reuse, repair, refurbishment and sharing
- Reducing unnecessary consumption and waste
- Reducing the use of single-use items
- Promoting recycling and the use of recycled materials
- Embedding circular economy principles into operational decision making
Reuse@Leeds (powered by WarpIT) is our online platform enabling staff to share and redistribute surplus items across the University community. By finding new homes for furniture, equipment and other resources, the platform helps reduce waste, avoid unnecessary purchases and support a more circular campus.
Where items do reach end of life, our Reuse, Recycling and Waste Standard sets out the principles of the waste hierarchy, focusing on reducing resource use and managing waste in ways that minimise impact on the environment and human health.
For any queries about waste please contact the Waste Management team [email protected].
Sustainable procurement and ethical supply chains
What we buy and who we buy it from can have a significant impact on our environmental and social impact. Our approach to ethical and responsible procurement is guided by our Sustainable Procurement Standard and supported through other relevant policies and standards including our Sustainable Food Standard and Sustainable Construction Standard.
By integrating sustainability alongside cost, quality and value, we work to make responsible procurement a standard part of how we operate. Suppliers are expected to meet our Environmental Policy and sustainability requirements as part of the procurement process.
We support a range of initiatives designed to embed and protect environmental and social sustainability including workers’ rights throughout the supply chain. These include our commitments to Fairtrade and membership of Electronics Watch and the Can’t Buy My Silence pledge.
Purchased goods and services account for a substantial proportion of the University’s carbon footprint. As part of our Climate Plan, our Net Zero Supply Chain and Resources Delivery Plan supports our efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and wider environmental impacts associated with the products, services and materials that we procure.