Winter 2024 Green Newsletter
Each term, we’ll be looking at a new theme and keeping you updated on what we can do to get green!
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Recycling
Over Christmas our thoughts turned to those who are less fortunate than ourselves and what we can do to help them. This links in with our aim to waste as little as possible and so if you have any items (gifts, food, clothes etc) you can donate them. All our sites have donation points, ask at reception for more details!
We also provide many different recycling options across all of our sites, but what you can recycle depends on your local waste collection providers so please ask at Reception for more info.
Did you know?
Using a lift to travel up/down one level uses 2.5wh, so why not keep warm by using the stairs whenever you can. Plus it’s cheaper than a gym membership!
The Weather
Let’s talk about the weather – it’s the national obsession after all and Climate Change is making worse! It’s cold, wet and windy so we start to think about conserving energy - do we really need to leave the heating and lights on when we’re out? All our sites are working towards reducing energy consumption in any way we can; from insulating our buildings to new types of heating; we are always looking for ways to save precious energy that don’t compromise our customers’ enjoyment of their homes.
Did you know?
A microwave uses about 50 % less energy than an oven, so get that jacket potato and beans in the poppity-ping!
Keeping Warm
To help you keep warm this winter we have some top tips from some of our staff:
·As the saying goes, there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. The key is to layer to trap heat. Invest in thermal underwear. Use it as a base and layer up with a thick shirt, then a fluffy sweater or fleece. Keep a look out for clothing made from wool, cotton or fleecy fabric as these trap heat the best. Lastly, top it all off with an outer layer like a jacket or waterproof when going outside. Where possible, buy from second hand shops to reduce your carbon footprint and spend less.
·Duvets come with a ‘Tog’ rating attached - Essentially, the Tog Scale is a way of measuring the heat retention properties of a given material, in this case the higher the tog, the toastier the duvet is going to be! So you need a low tog for Summer and a high one for Winter
·Keep your curtains open in the day to let light and warmth in, and draw them before it gets dark to avoid losing heat.
·Have regular hot drinks and food. Porridge, soups and stews help to keep you warm.
·Using a slow cooker, microwave, or air fryer could help you to reduce energy usage compared to an oven-baked meal.
·Keep as active as possible to boost your circulation. Move around at least once an hour (put an alarm on your phone to remind you) and avoid sitting still for long periods. Even light exercise will help keep you warm. When you do sit down, put your feet up as it’s coldest nearest the ground.
Did you know?
We’ll be carrying out our annual Green Survey soon. It is your chance to let us know what you’d like to see and help us continue with our mission to become carbon neutral. Stay tuned for more details.
Did you know?
A single wind turbine can generate enough electricity to make 230 million cups of tea, or power a household for more than 2,000 years.
Next term
Next term we’ll be focusing on the environment and how we can look after it, got any ideas or tips to share? Drop an email to our dedicated green inbox (gogreen@sanctuary-students.com) and if we use your tip you’ll win a £10 e-voucher.
