Environmental and Ethical Affairs
Recycling schemes in college are organised by Caitlin Smith, the MECSU Environmental and Ethical Affairs Officers. They also take on any other issues, such as charity fundraising and helping college to attain fairtrade status.
If there are any questions regarding Murray Edwards Environmental and Ethical Affairs Policies, please contact Caitlin at jcr-green@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk
At Murray Edwards, we focus on the 3 R's:
1. Re-duce
The need for packaging: buy products that are refillable, and look out for products made with recycled material. Keep an eye on how much you print or photocopy – reduce the amount of paper you use.
2. Re-use
Plastic bags and containers can be reused. Paper can be put into a scrap paper pile for just noting things down quickly or rough workings. Donate your unwanted clothes and items to a charity shop.
3. Re-cycle!
To reduce the amount of rubbish going into landfills, money spent on landfill tax and energy used to produce new products.
Recycling at Murray Edwards
At Murray Edwards, we can recycle:
- Glass
- Cardboard
- Cans
- Paper
- Plastic Bottles
Where are the recycling bins?
Most of the bins can be found in the car park by the Kaetsu Centre. These bins are for:
- BROWN, GREEN and CLEAR glass
- Cardboard
- Paper
- Cans and tins
- Plastic bottles
Recycling in the student kitchens:
The different coloured bins in the kitchens are to be used as follows:
GREEN BIN – GLASS
RED BIN –TINS/CANS
YELLOW BIN – PLASTIC
BLUE BIN – CARDBOARD
The cleaners are only responsible for emptying the red bin only. Students are to empty all the other bins, so please make sure you do you take responsibility for ensuring your kitchen’s bins are emptied regularly =)
PLEASE RINSE YOUR JARS AND TINS BEFORE PUTTING THEM INTO THE BINS!
Paper:
Yellow bins are available in each individual room. Please make sure you empty this bin in the Kaetsu Centre Car Park. Collection service is every Wednesday by Anglia Recycling. The bin is opened over the weekend and locked up at other times.
Reused envelopes:
The porters have some used envelopes, which they will happily hand over for you to use. It’s ideal if all you need to do is send a cheque via UMS and you don’t mind what kind of envelope it is.
Reusing and recycling plastic bags
Most shops these days ask if you need a plastic bag and some shops have even started charging for plastic bags. We encourage you to take your own shopping bag. 500 billion bags are used worldwide every year and are problematic to recycle (and take a LONG time to decompose in landfills).
Some shops in town sell really nice shopping bags that aren’t too expensive. Supermarkets also do “Bags for Life” which fits more than the average plastic bag and are also made of stronger plastic. Sometimes if you’re lucky, you might catch people giving away free cotton bags at the CUSU freshers’ fair or in town. They don’t split like the plastic bags and they fold away so you can pop one in your backpack/handbag for when you do pop to the shops. Finally, if you do take a plastic bag, please reuse it!
Some of the larger supermarkets in Cambridge have bins where you can recycle unwanted plastic bags. If you do find yourself in one of these places, do take along any unwanted bags and recycle them – let’s reduce the number of bags that end up in the landfill.
Recycling Availability Issues
Plastics:
Murray Edwards doesn't collect and recycle plastics other than bottles, because there isn't a readily accessible service nearby. Local Councils don't collect and recycle plastics. They involve excessive cost to both the local Councils and the environment. For more info see the link:
http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/sub/eandt/env/wasteman/plastic.htm
City Council Recycling Points:
There are 32 City Council recycling points situated throughout the City. The nearest public recycling point to New Hall is Castle Hill Car Park, Huntingdon Road, where you can recycle glass, cans and paper.
Fairtrade Issues
Murray Edwards is currently working towards getting Fairtrade status!! Some Fairtrade items including chocolate bars can be bought from the Dome. Also look out for and get involved with the events hosted by the Murray Edwards Fairtrade Society which always include some yummy fairtrade delights!
Charity work
Once a year, we work with Ents to bring you a Charity Event that fundraises for your chosen charity (a student vote is conducted). This year your chosen charity is the Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre. If you have a specific cause that you want to raise money for, please get in touch with us about it. We also liaise with charities as part of the SAFE scheme; everyone’s college bill includes an optional SAFE donation, and once a year us students vote to decide which scheme(s) to donate the money to.
Websites for more information and how to get involved
CUSU Ethical Affairs Website: http://www.green.cusu.cam.ac.uk/
- The CUSU website for all things green with information on how you can get involved within the University
DEFRA Official Website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/
- The Government’s official website for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Waste Watch: http://www.wastewatch.org.uk/Homepage
- A leading national organisation promoting and encouraging action on the 3 R's.
Recycle More: http://www.recycle-more.co.uk/
- Provides a useful recycling bank locator
Recycle Now http://www.recyclenow.com/
-Good tips for recycling and reusing things!
The Fairtrade Foundation www.fairtrade.org.uk/
-Information on Fairtrade!
The Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre http://www.cambridgerapecrisis.co.uk/
-For more information on this year’s chosen charity.