Sound Impact Awards

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Sound Impact Awards A model for engagement
action in students unions Jamie Agombar
Ethical Environmental Coordinator Anna
Heywood Founder, Sound Impact Awards
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• NUS Services
• The commercial arm of the NUS
• A highly successful purchasing consortium
• consultancy and programmes. Ents and NUS Extra
• Part owned by the NUS part owned by 224
  shareholder
• Students' Unions
• A not-for-profit democratic company led by
  student
• volunteers

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• Ethical Environmental Committee
• One of three committees
• Established 1995
• 4 students, 3 staff elected at NUS Services
  Convention
• Ethical Environmental Coordinator since 1996
• at the Heart of the company
• Remit
• 45 time suppliers
• 45 time greening Unions
• 10 time ensuring we practice what we preach

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• Suppliers assessment and development
• Code of Conduct
• Screening process
• Ethical Environmental Accreditation
• Contractual clauses
• Promoting the best - Sound Ethical Choice
• Supplier auditing
• Constructive engagement

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• Greening Unions
• Communications and networking
• PET recycling project
• Environmental Audits
• Carbon Academy
• Sound Impact Awards

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• The origin - a tale of two journeys
• Annas journey
• Degree at Northumbria
• Disillusioned by use of polystyrene packaging in
  Union
• Internal campaign stalled
• Excited by Student Media Awards
• Approached NUS to run an awards scheme
• NUS shared with NUS Services

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• EE Committees journey
• Ten environmental audits each year
• Some brilliant practice
• Common bad practice
• For some unions it was a tick-box exercise
• It would take us 20 years to audit all our
  members!
• Fast moving agenda
• BBN a successful model
• An accreditation scheme
• Winners and glitzy awards ceremony
• Plays on competitive nature
• Process acts as an action plan
• Positive coverage for the movement

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• Looking for something new
• a proactive agenda
• A timely proposal from Anna
• This time last year strategy was approved!

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The Sound Impact Awards Encouraging, nurturing,
rewarding and celebrating environmental best
practice in students unions
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• Methodology
• Self-assessment workbook
• 20 Essential criteria, 149 optional bonus
  criteria
• All aspects of environmental issues
• Evidence trail and audit process
• Constructive feedback
• Working Towards Bronze 5 x Silver 3 x Gold
• Awards ceremony
• Best practice booklet

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• 20 Essential criteria
• Environmental audit
• Number of photocopies
• Systems for hazardous wastes
• Charitable reuse schemes
• Printer and toner cartridges
• PCs
• Glass recycling
• Mixed paper recycling
• Stickers and posters
• Lighting and equipment responsibility plan

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• lt5 tungsten filament bulbs or strategy
• Urinals or strategy
• Staff induction
• Lobbying
• Active environmental policy
• Commitment to continual improvement
• Senior management commitment
• Long term operating plan
• Fairtrade
• Copier paper

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• Year one
• 51 workbooks returned
• 48 HE, 2 FE, NUS
• 15 audits top ten plus 10 random sample
• - Auditors inspired by innovation and effort
• - Average change -14
• - Problem criteria C.150E and C.151
• Green Claims Code

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• 30 Unions gained Accreditation (59)
• 21 classed as Working Towards (41)
• Average score 184 128 bonus marks!
• Range 48 to 318
• Has made a difference!
• Useful sector statistics
• 92 have RAG societies that raised over 150 for
  charities last academic year
• 11 have targets in place to reduce their
  environmental impacts

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• Feedback process has been beneficial in
  identifying strengths and weaknesses

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• Next year
• Raising the bar
• Key target 75 1/3 of our membership
• Sector targets?
• Another 10 already
• UCLan on record as going for Gold
• Loughborough started researching wind turbines

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• Similar models
• Green Gowns
• PP Going Green league table
• CT Energy Efficiency Accreditation Scheme
• BitC CR and BiE indexes
• Others?
• Other applications?
• Universities / Faculties?
• Schools?
• SMEs?
• Football league?
• Others?

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Innovation preview 1) Reducing 2) Reusing 3)
Recycling 4) Energy efficiency 5) Procurement 6)
Campaigning 7) Community
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• 1) Reducing
• University of Essex Students' Union
• Customers have to ask for carrier bags
• 5p charge as a disincentive
• Number given out/day reduced from 1,100 to 200
• All carriers are biodegradable
• Bournemouth University Students' Union

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• Goldsmiths Students' Union
• - Lug-a-mug
• Student discount if
• bring own mug
• College onboard
• University of York
• Students' Union

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• 2) Reusing
• University of York Students' Union
• Two EE Officers the Bike Doctor
• Abandoned bikes repaired and sold through auction
• Last year 270 bikes and 2.5k charity
• Half money to Africa
• Recycling, charity and encouraging cycling!

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• University of Central Lancashire Students' Union

- Pads made from scrap paper
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• 3) Recycling
• Loughborough Students' Union
• Cardboard recycling - University couldnt help
• Bought own baler, now recycle for University!
• Was 3 x 1100L bins lifted six times per week.
  Then 2. Now 1 three times per week. Saving
  669/week.
• Cardboard 35/tonne. 1,060 income from cardboard
  every two months
• Landfill tax shocker. 21. Was 3/year, now
  8/year to 2011.
• Income from recycling will soon exceed cost of
  refuse
• Also bale plastic (two types mixed and wrap)

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• University of Sheffield Union of Students
• - Established glass recycling
• - Savings used to employ two staff
• - Sorting and public highway
• - September 2006 to February 2007
• Paper 5.98 tonnes (taken foc) saving 246
• Cardboard 16.63 tonnes (20kg bales taken foc)
  saving 686
• Glass 87.86 tonnes (saving after charges 2,100)
• Total savings 3,035
• General waste 97.64 tonnes - costs 4,030

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Billy Moynihan, SU Porter
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• Keele University Students' Union
• Exemplary paper recycling scheme
• Mesh metal bins in all offices, labelled, emptied
  twice a day. 300kg per fortnight
• Kent Union
• - Plant a tree for every 100,000 pieces of paper
  used

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• 4) Energy efficiency
• University of Bolton Students' Union
• - Energy Efficient mascot called Eddy
• - Receptionist drew by hand
• - Meet Energy Efficient Eddy, He is always
  ready, He lights up to show you the way, But if
  you leave him on all day, He will soon be DEADY!

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• Brighton University Students Union
• Carbon footprint campaign
• 700 energy saving light bulbs sold at 50p each
• Free bike checks
• Energy efficiency advice stalls
• A showing of An Inconvenient Truth at The
  Earthship
• Stage two being planned

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• Bournemouth University Students' Union

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• University of Central Lancashire Students' Union
• - T5 tubes
• Loughborough Students' Union
• - Over 200 LED bulbs. 2.2W vs. 40W

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• Loughborough Students' Union
• - Monitoring electricity consumption
• - Gas consumption data showing 20 reduction,
  achieved by adjusting boiler clocks and
  regularly making sure TRVs are set low
• - Reporting - Sara Carter, EE Officer

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• 5) Procurement
• Union of UEA Students
• Steam removal
• of chewing gum,
• not chemicals
• Julia Orpin,
• Premises Manager
• with green
• cleaning products

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• Edinburgh University Students' Association
• Organic café
• Local food, local music
• Opened by Hugh Raven, head of Scottish Soil
  Association
• University of Bath Students' Union
• - Recent refurbishment of SU shop
• - Organic paint
• - Rain-forest friendly wood
• - HFC-Free fridges

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• 6) Involvement and campaigning
• Kent Union
• - Staff development day for EE issues
• - Guest speakers
• - Departmental plans
• - Work and at home
• University of Central Lancashire Students' Union
• - People Planet campaign against VCs limo

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• University of Wales, Lampeter Students' Union
• - James Camps, Environment Commercial
  Services Officer
• - Lobbying University over halls
• - Met with MP and involved media

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• 7) Community
• Edinburgh University Students' Association
• - Themed charity parties to raise money for MSF,
  Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, Prospect
  Burma, Amnesty International Comic Relief
• - During Fairtrade Fortnight, 'Big Cheese' party
  became the Fair Fromage, donations to Action
  Aid
• York St John Students' Union
• - SSHH! campaign
• - Pick it Up campaign fronted by Pick it Up
  girls
• - Litter bins on campus have Pick it Up Logo.
• - Community clean days
• - Annual community barbecue

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• Liverpool Guild of Students
• - Community Action beach cleans and community
  litter picks

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