Working sustainably in Oxford

“We need to get serious about climate change – and that means solutions, not guilt.” Irene Tracey, Oxford University Vice-Chancellor, Admission speech, 10 January 2023.  

Implementing the Environmental Sustainability strategy involves engagement and changing practices across the entire University. Oxford’s most important asset, its staff and students, are the main drivers for change and improvement of our environmental sustainability performance.  

As staff members, many of us often make decisions with environmental implications. The following list of resources is designed to support this decision making and to allow our colleagues to develop more sustainable practices in their role.  

We hope to inspire staff to embrace change and to find new ways of working sustainably. We are available to help so please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.  

I am... 

Planning an event 

Involved with building management and finance    

Managing my team’s waste 

all waste stickers

Making travel arrangements for someone else

Purchasing items 

  • Do you need to purchase new? Visit the University’s WARPit pages to see if anyone is giving away this item (please note that registration for the platform is required). 
  • Visit the sustainable procurement page on the finance website.  
  • Follow these rules of thumb to support your decision: 
    • Prefer “recycled” over “recyclable” for paper and cardboard.   
    • Select Fairtrade for coffee, tea, sugar etc. 
    • Prefer non-hazardous cleaning materials.  
    • Check for reliable sustainability labelling such as EU Ecolabel. 
    • If you are purchasing catering, prefer vegetarian or vegan to meat, or prefer fish or poultry to beef or lamb.    

Also consider:

  • When applicable, use the preferred supplier – preferred suppliers have been approved for use by the central purchasing team and have considered value for money, quality, delivery and sustainability.  
  • If the product or service is not available from the preferred supplier, then select from the contracted suppliers. 
  • Is the purchase really necessary? Think about whether you can borrow from another team or manage without it.  
  • Choose products that support the circular economy. 
  • Choose products containing sustainable materials e.g. sustainable timber. 
  • Reduce packaging. Ask the supplier about their packaging take-back policy. 
  • Prefer products that are manufactured with a high recycled content, or which can eventually be recycled (or reused) – i.e. minimising the impact of eventual disposal. 
  • Prefer products with high energy efficiency rate.  
  • Consolidate deliveries to the University, and if possible, time deliveries to reduce congestion. 
  • Prefer suppliers that can demonstrate how they are reducing their environmental impact.  
  • Prefer products that are less harmful to human health and the environment. 
  • Prefer any local suppliers who might be able to deliver best value. 
  • Prefer suppliers that can demonstrate ethical trading practices e.g. living wage compliance, fair trade. 
  • Prefer suppliers who can demonstrate delivery of additional social value to local and regional communities (e.g. B Corp). 

Aiming to improve sustainability in my lab 

Aiming to improve environmental sustainability in general  

Popular links