Are you joining Veganuary this year?  This month has seen the launch of 3 fast food options and new supermarket range suitable for vegans. Greggs of course offering the new vegan sausage roll, McDonalds offering the new wraps, Pizza Hut now have a vegan pizza and Marks and Spencer just launched a whole new vegan range, including burgers and curries. There are four key reasons you should consider trying out Veganuary this year: Animals - "Animals are able to perceive and feel, and experience pain and happiness just as we do. Production of food and clothing causes them to suffer in innumerable ways". Health - "Research shows that health is the second biggest reason people go vegan. Cut out cholesterol, lower your blood pressure, and reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease".  Environment - "Going vegan is the easiest and most effective way to help our planet. Make a more positive impact than giving up your car, and halve your greenhouse gas em

There are so many ways you can change your habits to improve your sustainable efforts in the new year, even if its something small, its probably having a larger impact than you think.  Eat organic produce as much as possible . Whilst organic produce can often cost a little more; it comes without the GMO's and pesticides. If the food was grown locally, then you know you're supporting your local economy too.  Stop buying fast fashion . Don't buy cheap clothes that you'll only wear for one season then decide isn't good enough any more. The fabrics can often be petrol based and highly toxic, never mind all the Co2 produced in transport.  Bring your own water bottle and coffee cups . Coffee cups can only be recycled if put into the right bins on campus and around Leeds, which are not always convenient for everyone. Make an effort to recycle your coffee cup in the Rose Bowl café and receive a reward in return. You should carry a water bottle everywhere with

To Gift or Not To Gift? There are many ways you can switch up your gift giving to reduce waste and spend less money this Christmas. Whether you make it yourself or purchase locally, there are many ways you can ethically purchase gifts this Christmas.  Take a look at the hierarchy below and you can see that buying new should always be the last resort.   Sustainable Gift Ideas Instead of wasting a box and plastic with a regular present, why not gift an experience. These often require a simple print out from an email. There are so many options for this, for example, a meal out, gig tickets, a massage or a class. The recipient will see that the idea is more meaningful and they can make new memories.  There are so many ethical gift websites about; and you can often find local businesses, especially on Etsy . These sites have great sustainable alternatives to a traditional gift. Check out these sites for ideas: Green Tulip and   The Wise House . Help someone get s

Since the debut of the BBC's Blue Planet and Drowning in Plastic, many people have pledged to go plastic free, or reduce their consumption.  I spoke to Melissa, a research and development chef at the university, on how she's switching products to reduce her plastic waste.  The main issue with trying to find the best alternatives, is the cost. Melissa has tried many shampoo  and deodorant bars that might say they last longer, but can cost up to £8! I myself have invested in Lush shampoo and conditioner bars, amongst other plastic free products. Whilst Lush offers amongst some of the most expensive products on the high street, all of their products are vegetarian, not tested on animals, handmade and the materials are sourced ethically. The shampoo bar I have tried was amazing- it made no difference to how my hair felt, compared to the three products I was using before! Whilst looking for products in Lush, I noticed that a lot of them are in black plastic pots- the kind

World Vegan Month is celebrated around the world, highlighting the easily accessible and beneficial lifestyle, and courage those curious, to get involved. The image of veganism is undergoing a radical change in history with its close association with health, fitness and wellbeing, as well as it ethical impact on animals and the environment. Veganism has expanded massively in the UK, with more people choosing to enjoy a plant-based diet. In the UK, 3.5 million people now identify as vegan (7%). LBU now has its own Vegan & Vegetarian Society, find more information here: Vegetarian & Vegan Society .  "We aim to bring people together who are vegetarians or vegans or people who are interested in the lifestyle to socialise together in a fun and relaxing atmosphere! :) All are welcome. We also aim to spread awareness and educate students about the ethical and environmental effects that we create when we make our food choices. We provide a supportive environment where anyone

Halloween isn't it can still be expensive and wasteful, so I've put together some tips on how to make your Halloween greener! Purchase your pumpkins from local organic farms. When Halloween's over and you have to throw out your hard work, remember to compost your pumpkins and save the seeds to use in baking/ cooking. If you paint on the pumpkin, it must go in general waste! Check out this recipe from Jamie Oliver on how to roast pumpkin seeds . Birchfield Farm - Pumpkin Festival (North Yorkshire) Purchase sweets and chocolate made from natural ingredients . No artificial flavours, colourings or preservatives. To reduce plastic wrapper waste, buy sweets in bulk. For a different sweet treat, make a pumpkin pie;  BBC Pumpkin Pie .  Use reusable buckets or bags for trick or treating. Don't waste plastic bags when you could redecorate and reuse an old bag to fit the costume. Reuse old costumes or wear your own clothes and DIY them to make a new one. Check

We need to work together to ensure everyone across the world, has access to safe, nutritious and healthy food. In order to achieve this, we need to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, working with others, sharing our knowledge and have a will to change the world. Hunger is the leading cause of death in the world. "Our planet has provided us with tremendous resources, but unequal access and inefficient handling leaves millions of people malnourished. If we promote sustainable agriculture with modern technologies and fair distribution systems, we can sustain the whole world’s population and make sure that nobody will ever suffer from hunger again". Global Goals .  Annually, on the 16th October, people from around the world come together to declare their commitment to eradicate work hunger. World Food Day is one of the most celebrated days in the UN calendar. What can you do to help achieve #ZeroHunger? Don't waste food - save your leftovers by freezing the

This week saw the launch of Leeds By Example , a city wide campaign, trialling the new ways we can make recycling consistent and easy. On our city campus, visit two recycle reward machines and get 5p off your next purchase at one of our many cafes, by simply recycling your plastic bottles, cans and coffee cups. Many of our staff and students have already been using the machines! If you're checking out the Kirkgate Market, be sure to recycle and get 10p off food. Giving one of the new #hubbub on-the-go recycling points a whirl at @leedsbeckett Rosebowl. Helping the environment & 5p off my next purchase, win-win! The 6-month Leeds City Centre trial launches today with the results informing a nationwide roll-out #LeedsByExample #recycling pic.twitter.com/ajUtA2noNt — Rachel Angarano (@RachelA_LCC) October 9, 2018 How to recycle on the go in Leeds Keep hold of your plastic, cans and coffee cups and make sure they're empty.  Leftover food and liquid cou

This international day, helps to promote the benefits of vegetarianism. Vegetarian diets help to... Reduce the risk of major killers, like cancer or heart disease. Save animals Reduce greenhouse gases Provide a viable answer to feeding the worlds hunger.  As a vegetarian you can still enjoy a great diet, whilst in taking less saturated fat and more folate, fibre and antioxidants.  What you can do to spread the word? Bring in vegetarian food to share with your co-workers or friends.  Invite friends and family to a evening, home cooked meal.  Eat meat free for the day, or throughout the month.  Try out the new food options on campus and post your meal on social media with the hashtag #worldvegetarianday A protein based breakfast is the ideal choice because its filling and a sustainable way to start the day; you can easily scramble an egg whilst your bread is toasting. Remember to not skip breakfast, as it'll only make your pick the wrong foods for the r

Here are some top tips to reduce the waste you produce in a term Batch-Cook I often over make my dinner so that I have food for the next day and don't have to spend extra money on campus food. You can also easily batch cook food that was going out of date or you hadn't planned to use for the rest of the week. You could also incorporate the batch foods into different meals, for example, batch cook veg and use it in a variety of dishes. Saving yourself money will mean you have more to spend on your nights out! Cook and shop with your flatmates Coordinate with your flatmates for meals and shopping - you could make a meal plan for the week and decide which nights you'll cook together on. You might find that you can become more creative with recipes when cooking with friends.  Buy vintage and give to charity LBSU holds many vintage kilo sales and its a great opportunity to get a new wardrobe at a fraction of the cost. Keep an eye on the SU website for more infor

This week, we've collaborated with IT Services to share ways you can be greener at university. Use a digital notebook instead of a paper notepad.                                                       This is the number one way to reduce waste whilst at university. As a student or staff you go through so much paper. I myself recently did a clear out of the first two years of university scrap paper I'd used and was shocked to fill over one black bin liner! I have since moved to using a tablet to make all of my notes on. This is also a lot easier to plan out your life balance by using reminders.  Any textbooks I have bought, have also been sold on EBay to further reduce waste and help a student save money. Why would you waste on a £40 textbook? Did you know you can also hire laptops amongst other equipment from the university?  https://medialoans.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/ Check out the website and see what equipment could help you in your studies. Starting with a laptop to t

This year is set to be the BIGGEST ever Global Goals week, which will strive progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2015 these goals were set and hope to be achieved by 2030. As well as improving sustainability through improved engagement, Leeds Beckett has commitment in addressing developmental challenges facing the world, by working across academic disciplines. We work closely with NUS to undertake work with staff members and students, to ultimately address the Global Goals. Below, I've outlined some of the Global Goals, and how they relate to the university and local community directly; developing our current strategies will help to address the goals further. Goals: 3. Good Health and Wellbeing : promoting healthy lifestyles, preventive measures and modern, efficient healthcare for everyone. Vegan Lifestyles are becoming increasingly popular due to their associations with health benefits, as well as being an easily accessible diet across the world. With th

 How to travel sustainably at Leeds Beckett University Student Bike Hire  Cycling is a popular way to get around Leeds, and with hire options at LBU, you can join in too. Our bike hire contracts run for 3 months at a time, and if you need it for longer, you can simply renew the contract online. Most of our bikes are 21 speed Ridgebacks and are fitted with a good quality D-lock, front and rear lights, 21 gears, puncture resistant tyres, mudguards and a pannier luggage rack.   Price Details: £50 deposit £35 first hire period £10 another 3 months £5 final three months (Masters students can keep bikes into September)  Simply visit the Bike Hub at University of Leeds or the Bike Fix workshop on our Headingley campus with your student ID, a valid phone number and email address.  Find more details here.  Public Transport Bus Both campuses have frequent bus services, including:  The Leeds City Bus service 5 that links the bus and rail stations to our main

In previous years, our SU bars have developed their menus to meet vegans/ vegetarians needs by offering vegan sausages, breakfasts, vegan chilli or even paninis. These have clearly been popular, driving our catering team to add more vegan options to their menus; with a main addition to the hospitality menu. I met with Melissa, a research and development chef here at the university, to talk about this new menu, and what other vegan offerings are coming to LBU. The decision to introduce a new vegan menu emerged from interest by staff as well as students. The number of students and staff converting to a vegan diet has grown rapidly, especially after the success of this years Veganuary (168,000 participants). Staff were also invited to try out the new menu last week and comments were highly positive. The hospitality menu now includes great tasting vegan options, like filled croissants or sausage sandwiches for breakfast. The main menu offers pizza, falafel skewers, savoury bi