Sustainability Zone (16th November 2016)

Apologies were received from Union President Alex Hovden.

David welcomed everyone to the meeting and everyone was introduced.

Equality & Diversity – Fraser –

• Creating a working group to focus on increasing participants in elections for underrepresented groups. Invited committee to join working group.
• Working on Safe Space campaign, including gender neutral and accessible toilets.

Ethical & Environmental – Elle –

• Working on making events self-sustaining.
• Increase attendance at events and effectiveness.
• Setting up action group for environmental societies to work together more.
• In semester 2, running a sustainable cosmetics event. Would like to get more people from different subjects attending.

David updated the committee on the various Sustainabiltiy projects that he has been working on:

• Meeting with Fraser regarding Safe Space campaign.
• Met with University catering department to increase vegetarian and vegan options on campus.
• Working on increasing participation in elections.
• Plans to carry out an environmental audit of Union practices.
• Set up Welbeing Action Group.

Swapshop will be held on Friday 25th November 

• Bring old clothes to campus and swap for clothes others have left.
• The committee discussed ways to make better, increase attendance and make the event more  like a commercial shop (but not car-bootish!).
• It was noted that the planning had to done from the ground up as Sustainability Coordinator and University contact both left at the same time.
• Promotion – Sussed article, Facebook, Environmental Sciences.
• Promotes anti-black Friday message and coincides with Buy Nothing Day

• Shift Your Stuff takes place towards the end of the academic year when students are moving out. Students leave their unwanted items (clothes, books, household equipment etc.) outside their home in plastic bags.  The council collects the bags and we record the donations and send it to charities.
• Last year this was more streamlined than the year before. There were less items, but of a higher quality.

• Amy raised concerns regarding RAG’s Gunge A Captain event for Children in Need. The event involved throwing food such as baked beans, tomatoes and rice pudding at people.  There was a lot of good food wasted as it was all in date and, therefore, not sustainable.  Everyone agreed that student groups should consider environmental risks and sustainable issues.

• There should be more Union involvement at NOC – Flora is looking in to this to improve communication and common spaces.

• Amy is working on a project to create a spreadsheet of sustainable employers and will share with committee when this is complete.

• David advised that Simon Kemp who works in Environmental Sciences at the University is working on a student led sustainability journal which is supported by the NUS Dissertations for Good scheme. It was discussed if we would prefer the NUS logo or the NUS Dissertations for Good logo on the document.  The latter was the preferred option.

• Union Southampton sell a lot of disposable water bottles. It was discussed and agreed that this was probably due to the location of water fountains.  The locations of water fountains needs to be advertised more. David advised he is working on a project to get the shop to sell re-usable water bottles and will research the best sustainable water bottles

• The Environmental Action Group coordinates projects run by student groups to look for overlap and assist with volunteer recruitment. There has been a lot of interest in collaboration but not many likes on the Facebook page.