University of Tasmania, Australia

Who’s the most sustainable of them all? Put your office to the test by participating in this year’s office challenge. Some of the themes of the challenge will be recycling, purchasing habits and energy conservation.

Winning offices will each receive a $150 Fairtrade hamper. There will be 2 prizes on offer for best performance and most improved.

If you are interested in participating, ask your colleagues to get involved too! Try to have:

• at least 50% of the staff located in the designated office space participating in the challenge
• one representative from the office space taking ownership of distributing information to other participating staff members
• at least one staff member from the participating office completing 2 audits during the course of the challenge. More details on this to come.

Please complete the Office Challenge short quiz and energy audit (DOC 22.2KB) and email to Kim.Beasy@utas.edu.au by 31 July 2013.

Do you own a lab fridge or freezer? It could be a zombie fridge/freezer! Bring your fridge or freezer back to life by participating in this year’s lab challenge.

Winning participants will each receive a $150 Fairtrade hamper.

‘The Zombie Slayer’

Awarded for largest improvement. This will be measured from the difference in number of points received per fridge/freezer before and after the challenge.

‘Frost Champion’

Awarded for best performance. This will be measured from the highest number of points received per fridge/freezer.

If you are interested in participating, you must be the owner or primary user of a lab fridge/freezer or have the permission of the lab fridge/freezer’s primary user to participate.

Please complete the Zombie Fridge and Freezers questionnaire (DOC 9.5KB) and email to Carmen.Primo@utas.edu.au by 31 July 2013.

Students residing on the Launceston, Sandy Bay and Cradle Coast campuses are encouraged to get involved with the block energy challenges that will be run during August.

Last year Accommodation Services ran a similar challenge with excellent participation which resulted in over $3,000 of savings for the month! Special treats will be awarded to participants and winners.

If you are a student residing on campus and are keen to get involved, please contact Tania.Harvey@utas.edu.au (Launceston), Paddy.Barbour@utas.edu.au (Sandy Bay) or Isobel.Neal@utas.edu.au (Cradle Coast) for more information.

Is there someone who you know from UTAS that is a bit of a Green Star? Each week we will be choosing a staff Green Star based on the nominations we receive from you!

Winners will be notified personally as well as publicised on the sustainability website. Small gifts will be presented to winners in early September.

In your nomination please outline how this person actively contributes to the sustainability of the University. Examples may be diligently recycling, purchasing only recycled content paper, consistently using a keep cup. We are after quality not quantity in your nomination piece, maximum of 150 words.

Nominations can be emailed through to utas.sustainability@utas.edu.au

This year we are offering a personal challenge for people willing to take it on. Those who take up the challenge will be invited to celebrate their achievements with us in early September.

This challenge will run through the earthlab website. On the right hand side of the earthlab site you will see a ‘Calculate your carbon footprint’ button. Calculate your footprint at the beginning and end of August.

Please record your initial ECP (Earth Conservation Plan) score and carbon output (in tonnes). You will also find on the website a pledge tab. This function allows you to list all of the activities that you are already doing towards lowering your environmental impact as well as actions that you intend to implement.

One of the sustainability staff will be taking up the challenge and posting regular updates throughout the month. If you would like to be involved with this challenge, please email Kim.Beasy@utas.edu.au.

Are you wasting away?

Have you ever looked into the bin and thought to yourself 'what a waste'? Well August's ‘Sustainability Month’ is the time to take stock of what is going into the bin and why. Waste can be seen as an indicator of inefficiency, and is a lost resource.

During August, staff across the University will be encouraged to reduce the amount of material they produce as ‘waste’ through buying less of the ‘wrong stuff’, re-using and recycling.

So take a look in your bin and see how you can stop your office from ‘wasting away’.

Visit the Recycling and Waste Management page for more information.

Transport

Can you challenge yourself to take public transport or carpool one day per week, or how about engaging in a bit of active transport, especially if you live less than 5 km from your campus? You’ll be amazed how easy it is to make a different choice one day a week.

Do you travel between campuses? Taking the Redline intercampus bus service allows you to travel with less stress and more time to get things done, whether reviewing documents or catching up on emails. The 6.00 am service is a discounted service for staff and students during semester times.

Visit the Transport page for more information.

We would love to hear any good news stories you may have, especially during August. Please email your stories to utas.sustainability@utas.edu.au.