Ann Anthony, Estates Manager LSIS N.E. Regional Sustainability Advisor

FREAK WEATHER Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the weather patterns which can be a change in average weather conditions, more or fewer extreme weather events. Climate change may be limited to a specific region or may occur across the whole Earth.

Extreme events like these are happening all over the world, including the UK, in fact even in our own back gardens!! Everyone in this room has their part to play in reducing the effects that humans are having on our planet.

We are using up all of the planets natural resources. A major United Nations report has warned that time is running out to ensure there is enough food, water and fuel to meet the needs of the world's rapidly growing population which is expected to rise from 7 billion people to an expected 9 billion by Within the next 20 years the world's population will need 50 per cent more food and vast new reserves of energy and water, according to UN estimates.

Want to know how you can do your bit to save the planet, have fun, AND save money?

We all know that we should recycle, bottles, cans and paper etc. But what about recycling old clothing, shoes and bags to charity shops this is just as important and so EASY! Recycling is an excellent way of saving energy and conserving the environment. Did you know that:  1 recycled tin can would save enough energy to power a television for 3 hours.  1 recycled glass bottle would save enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes.  1 recycled plastic bottle would save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for 3 hours.  70% less energy is required to recycle paper compared with making it from raw materials. Interesting Facts:  Up to 60% of the rubbish that ends up in the dustbin could be recycled.  The unreleased energy contained in the average dustbin each year could power a television for 5,000 hours.  The largest lake in the Britain could be filled with rubbish from the UK in 8 months.  On average, 16% of the money you spend on a product pays for the packaging, which ultimately ends up as rubbish.  As much as 50% of waste in the average dustbin could be composted.  Up to 80% of a vehicle can be recycled.  9 out of 10 people would recycle more if it were made easier.

 Each UK family uses an average of 500 glass bottles and jars annually.  The largest glass furnace produces over 1 million glass bottles and jars per day.  Glass is 100% recyclable and can be used again and again.  Glass that is thrown away and ends up in landfills will never decompose.

 Recycled paper produces 73% less air pollution than if it was made from raw materials.  12.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard are used annually in the UK.  The average person in the UK gets through 38kg of newspapers per year.  It takes 24 trees to make 1 ton of newspaper.  275,000 tonnes of plastic are used each year in the UK, that’s about 15 million bottles per day.  Most families throw away about 40kg of plastic per year, which could otherwise be recycled.  The use of plastic in Western Europe is growing about 4% each year.  Plastic can take up to 500 years to decompose.

What happens to your waste and recycling? Every year Stockton Council collects over 87,000 tonnes of household rubbish.  11,712 tonnes are taken to landfill  53,734 tonnes are converted to electricity at the Energy from Waste site at Haverton Hill  23,247 tonnes (over 26%) is recycled. SBC aim to increase their recycling rates to 40% by 2011/2012.

Saving energy is easier than you think – how many things have you left on at home that are wasting YOUR money and energy right now ? If you replace a traditional light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb of the same brightness you will typically save around £3 per year, or £55 over the life of the bulb. Computing equipment accounts for approx 13% of the average electricity bill so it's vital to choose energy-efficient models which use less energy in 'sleep' and 'standby' as well as when they're running... Did you know that much of your water use at home contributes to your energy bill? Each person in the UK uses on average, about 150 litres each day. But about 23% of a household's heating bill is from heating the water - when you shower, run hot water from the tap, and use your kettle, washing machine and dishwasher. This is on average about £160 per year.

What do we do at SRC to ‘do our bit’ for sustainability? You might be surprised to learn how much we recycle and what we have achieved in other areas

We aren’t as good as we would like to be, but we have come a long way on our road to sustainability and we do all this………. Energy monitoring and voltage optimisation Rain water harvesting (grey water collection to flush toilets) Solar panels to heat water Biomass boilers Room light sensors Electric car recharging points Auto switch off of all computers out of college hours Cycle to work scheme/ student cycle loan scheme Eco friendly external seating Motion sensory auto flush to urinals Recycle, paper, cans, plastic, wood, cardboard, cooking oil, bricks, mortar, batteries ……… and more! Business Management Systems to manage heating systems Sustainability and Green Issues Group with student and staff members Enrichment course was launched this year And we are working towards doing even more ………..

Cycling events Holding Get Cycling Events at SRC with SUSTRANS – more in the pipeline for next year!! Cycling is cheap, reliable AND good for the environment but did you know:  On average cyclists live 2 years longer than non-cyclists  Cyclists breath in less pollution from traffic than car drivers  Cycling is a great form of aerobics but it also gets you from A to B!  Cycling raises your metabolic rate helping you to manage your weight Why not join in the lunchtime cycle rides planned for the summer term? We promote cycling across college by….

We Raise Awareness about Sustainability and have fun too …… We held Design a Hoodie Competition and SRC Bede students win an BOC/NEPIC Environmental Award for their eco-garden designs

WE PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY WEEK – with competitions, and students made posters, flower planters and jewellery from recycled or recyclable materials…. This year’s event took place on Stockton High Street where BTEC Business students hosted a market event

We developed the SRC Green Microsite where you can find out more about how SRC students are becoming involved in sustainability – and how you can help!

Dissemination Event Test driving electric cars and making smoothies, to make sustainability’ real, fun, understandable and achievable SRC working with Stockton Borough Council, SUSTRANS and local organisations We held a Sustainability Dissemination Event and invited students, staff and the public …………

SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION Recycle Cycle or walk instead of driving Save energy - switch off! Save water Compost kitchen waste Join the SRC Sustainability and Green Issues Group So now it’s up to you – where will you go from here?