01 May 2019 
Emma Keenan, Deputy Director
The University of Leeds and Leeds University Union have together pledged to become single-use plastic-free by 2023. The campaign, Single Out: 2023PlasticFree commits the University and Union to phase out single-use plastic across the board, not just in catering and office spaces. The five-year campaign will involve mapping plastic use across the University and Union, and then identifying action plans for more challenging areas. It will also include working with partners and supply chains to phase out the amount of plastic products and packaging coming onto campus.
Also, The University of Manchester has announced its participation in ambitious regional initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and plastic use. Along with other universities and colleges in Greater Manchester, The University of Manchester and its Students’ Union will work to eradicate avoidable single-use plastics from catering, labs and stationery by 2022.
Campaigns and pledges like these are becoming more and more popular as institutions recognise the importance of including more environmental, social and ethical policies in the breadth of their work. A reminder that the HEPA national Responsible Procurement Group welcomes new members from those keen to contribute in this area. Information on the work of the group and minutes from previous meetings can be found on the website do contact us if you are interested in being involved.
