Environmental Management in halls of residence

Student Living (Derby Student Residences Ltd) is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and addressing environmental challenges for a more sustainable future.

How we contribute to reducing our environmental impact

We set green targets, use environmentally friendly cleaning products, support recycling and charity initiatives and choose environmentally friendly options where possible.

We encourage active travel, in particular cycling and we offer free bike storage at all our halls. We also have electric charging points in some of our residence car parks and an electric-powered van.

During key times of the year when students are moving in and moving out, we provide additional recycling facilities to discourage waste. 

How you can help us be more sustainable in halls:

Energy usage

Don’t be an energy vampire - power down, save big and be an energy superhero.

• Don’t overfill your kettle. The fuller it is the longer it takes to boil and the more energy you use and water you waste.
• Cook a meal together with your flatmates and save energy, time and money.
• Switch off plug sockets, lights and heaters when they are not needed
• Unplug chargers; they consume 5-10% of their power even when not in use!
• Switch off your computer; cutting overnight energy waste can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 200kg per PC per year, equivalent to driving 600 miles in a petrol car!
• Use natural daylight where possible.
• Close your windows when heating your room so warmth is not lost

Energy usage by hall is about 30-40% of the University’s total usage, so hall residents have the opportunity to make big changes to help the environment.

Save water

Simple ways you can save water in halls include:

• turning your tap off when brushing your teeth- by doing this you can save 18 litres!
• reporting any leaking taps to staff straight away. A leaky tap can waste 15 litres a day.
• keep a bottle of cold water in the fridge so you don’t need to run the tap to get cold water.
• when using the washing machines in our laundries – make sure it’s a full load – you could always share a load with a flatmate and save money too!
• do the dishes in one go rather than throughout the day.

Reduce, re-use, recycle

• Donate any non-perishable food items (unopened tins and packets), that you don’t want to the hall foodbank in your common room.
• Donate unwanted clothes and bric-a-brac to the British Heart Foundation. There are donation points at every hall and throughout the University.
• Recycle used batteries at your hall collection point or at a supermarket near you
• Plan meals ahead to prevent wasting ingredients
• Avoid food waste by re-using food leftovers
• Recycle your food waste in the kitchen caddy provided and be sure not to include any food packaging or liquids.
• Help us with our mixed dry recycling by putting the right items in the right bins

Together we CAN make a difference

Active travel

We encourage active travel to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. Walking or cycling to your lectures is sustainable, convenient, and affordable, as well as being good for your health and wellbeing. To encourage active travel, we offer free bike storage in halls.

For tips on local cycle routes, check out the Cycle Derby website.

How to apply for bike storage in halls

Applying for bike storage at your hall couldn’t be simpler. All you need to do is fill in an online form.

To complete the online form, simply log into your Student Living account and scroll down to the "Once You're Here" section. Then just click on the "Bike Storage Application" button.