Green Impact projects 2016-17

23 projects • 32 departments •  a lot of green action! 

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Green Mile Map

Setting up a generic email

address for the blog helped to

monitor engagement and

dividing up areas between the

team spread the workload and

ensured a variety of blog posts 

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT

THE PROJECT

A wide range of staff members got involved in the project and attended the launch event. The team were able to measure the impact of the project by looking at analytics of the blog, and the Map could be easily updated or embedded into other websites as it was created online.

THE PROCESS

TOP TIP

THE RESULT

The team wrote accompanying blog posts on WordPress to highlight particular locations or themes. The Map was launched at an event during Green Week which involved quizzes and games centred around locations on the Map.

The Department of Management created an online Google map of 'green' hotspots within a mile radius of LSE. 

Meatless Mondays

Discuss ideas at a team meeting

to encourage everyone to get on

board. Providing an incentive or

prize also helps to increase

participation too

DIRECTORATE

THE PROJECT

The department really got on board with the project and two members of staff even became vegetarian as a result! Staff enjoyed the health benefits of promoting vegetarianism as well as the environmental ones. 

THE PROCESS

TOP TIPTHE RESULT

The team made chart to keep track of everyone who had participated in a meatless Monday, and created a noticeboard for staff to suggest their favourite vegetarian food from local restaurants. A prize was bought for the member of staff who managed to do the most amount of meatless Mondays in the month.

The Directorate team promoted meatless Mondays by holding a competition and encouraging staff to share vegetarian recipes.

Sustainability Awareness Training

Including tv clips in the

training helped to engage staff.

Videos can be a great way to

explain content in an

interesting and easy to

understand way!

GARRICK

THE PROJECT

Noticeably there was a renewed interest in recycling amongst staff, and the team were able to fine tune the training to be able to deliver it to all catering staff across campus.

THE PROCESS

TOP TIP

The team surveyed staff to find out what areas of sustainability they wanted to explore. They then developed two sessions which included clips from Hugh Fernley Whittingstall’s ‘War on Waste’ programme to demonstrate the importance of segregating waste and why it is important to recycle. Following the training they reinforced the sessions by going round the kitchen and coffee bar to talk to staff about anyissues, and then developed an action plan to tackle these. 

THE RESULT

The Garrick team developed some sustainability awareness training for their staff. 

Clean kitchen competition

Surveying people before and

after your project is a great way

to evaluate the success. Polling

on Facebook is an easy way to

survey a lot of people and get

fast results!

NORTHUMBERLAND

THE PROJECT

Recycling increased in the halls and the competition engaged not only thestudents but all of the reception staff and housekeeping staff as well. 

THE PROCESS

TOP TIPTHE RESULT

The team put up posters and sent out termly newsletters reminding students of the competition. The housekeeping staff monitored the cleanliness of kitchens and decided which flat would ultimately win the prize (a popcorn maker!) When the kitchens weren't clean or students hadn't disposed of their rubbish properly, wardens were able to pick up on it and contact the students to offer advice. 

Northumberland ran a 'Clean Kitchen competition’ to promote cleanliness and encourage students to properly dispose of their rubbish.

LSE Big Veggie Cooking Contest

Inviting other partners - Olio,

the FoodCycle society, the

Vegetarian society - provided a

lot of support and freebies! As

well as providing a good range

of information and activities

LIBRARY

THE PROJECT

The competition was a huge success,coupled with a stall on the plaza which engaged a lot of passers-by. The recipes from the competition were made available to staff, and the team gained lots of new skills in the process of organising the event - as well as learning a lot about vegetarianism themselves!

THE PROCESS

TOP TIP

THE RESULT

The team produced flyers to advertise the competition and staff/students entered through Eventbrite. The team decided on the competition rules and purchased prizes. On the day dishes were brought in (already prepared) and re-heated  in the microwave. 

The Library hosted a vegetarian cook- off competition and  raised awareness of food waste and the benefits of eating less meat.

Fairtrade cake days

Hosting events in an area which

has a large amount of footfall

can increase participants. Don't

be shy to contact companies

engaging in Fairtrade Fortnight

for promotional material and

resources!

BUTLER'S WHARF

THE PROJECT

The event was well received and students enjoyed the cake! The staff found it very rewarding to talk about Fairtrade and the implications of its work for farmers. Students were encouraged to bring their own mug, and the cakes were no-bake recipes which helped promote sustainability and energy saving too.

THE PROCESS

TOP TIPTHE RESULT

The team registered their event with Fairtrade to get some promotional materials, as well as contacting Divine Chocolate and other Fairtrade suppliers to get some free samples. Invites were sent to the residents by emails and posters were put up around the buildings. 

The Butler's Wharf team raised awareness of Fairtrade by inviting the residents to try some Fairtrade cakes and hot drinks.

Restart Party

Although the basement of the

Saw Swee Hock is a good venue,

hosting events on the ground

floor or even the first floor can

engage a lot more people and

passers by.

IMT

THE PROJECT

In total 17 people attended the workshop, with lots of broken gadgets fixed and lots of great advice being shared. The team were able to interact with a wide range of staff, students and the general public, and enjoyed raising awareness about people's day-to-day gadgets. 

THE PROCESS

TOP TIPTHE RESULT

The team contacted the Restart Project and organised for them to host a workshop at LSE during Green Week. They promoted it through newsletters and online, and set up in the ground floor of the Saw Swee Hock building to get maximum exposure. 

The IMT team increased awareness of IT waste issues through posters and information during Green Week, as well as working with an external organisation to run an electronic waste reuse and repair workshop. 

Air-purifying plants

Research the best types of

plants for your target audience,

for example the Spider plant is

a good plant for busy students

as they can survive without

being watered often.

ROSEBERY

THE PROJECT

The students loved the idea and the team successfully collected a lot of sprays and plug ins in exchange for the plants. The team decided not to limit it to exchanges only so that all students could get involved. 

THE PROCESS

TOP TIPTHE RESULT

They did some research into the best air purifying plants and decided to go with 4 types: spider plant, aloe vera, boston fern and dracena plant. They found that Homebase was the most economical place to buy them, and promoted the scheme in two issues of their Greenbery newsletter. They set up a table at reception and a box to collect any sprays or plug ins. 

Rosbery wanted to put an air purifying plant in every room as an alternative to sprays and plug in perfumes. 

Red noses, green food and 10,000 steps

Combining a Green Impact

project with another event -

such as Red Nose Day - can

encourage other people to join

in who aren't the usual keen

greens!

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

THE PROJECT

Staff enjoyed researching for recipes and competing to be the winner of the pedometer challenge! 

THE PROCESS

TOP TIPTHE RESULT

Members of staff were invited to bake a cake that had either Fairtrade, organic, seasonal or home grown ingredients in it. The team organised prizes for the winners of the bake off competition and the person who had the highest average number of steps per day over the pedometer challenge month.

The Maths team hosted a bake off competition and raised money for red nose day. They also organised a 10,000 steps pedometer challenge. 

Let's do lunch

Lunchtime events work well so

that staff can join in without

taking up too much work time.

Food and charity-based events

also went down well in the

division!

ESTATES DIVISION

THE PROJECT

The team put on a variety of fun activities which went beyond the usual sustainability events! They used their own strengths and interests to plan the activities and invited staff from other departments which boosted the number of participants.

THE PROCESS

TOP TIPTHE RESULT

Events included a Halloween lunch showing staff how to eat all of the pumpkin rather than waste it, a gift swap game designed to give unwanted Christmas presents a new home, a decorate your own jumper workshop and a talk by Coppafeel; the Breast Cancer awareness charity. 

The Estates team planned 6 different lunchtime events to encourage staff to take a break away from their desks.

Food growing

Making a project simple, fun

and easily accessible by

everyone will guarantee lots of

participation - the faster the

results the better for keeping

people engaged

RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

THE PROJECT

Almost 90% of the departmentparticipated in the competition and it created a fun atmosphere in the offices! Being able to see prompt results helped to engage the people taking part, and some even conducted their own research to make the plants grow faster!

THE PROCESS

TOP TIPTHE RESULT

Staff and students were each given a pot, soil and some seeds. At the end of the project all plants were gathered and judged by height/produce to determine the winner. The team sent out a survey before, during and after the competition to assess people's attitudes towards growing food. 

The RSCD team created a food growing competition in the department and encouraged everyone to grow (and eat) organically. 

'Before the Flood' 

Co-hosting an event with

another department, in this case

the Grantham Research Institute,

can help with planning and

organising the project, as well as

engaging a wider audience.

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE PROJECT

Roughly 150 people attended the film screening and there was a positive result from the survey. The project also enabled a Masters student to conduct follow-up interviews with the participants as part of his dissertation research.

THE PROCESS

TOP TIP THE RESULT

The team booked the room and contacted National Geographic to acquire the film rights. Tickets were allocated through Eventbrite and promoted to the LSE community as well as to the public. Stewards were booked for the event and the panelists were briefed in advance. At the end of the evening participants filled out a survey to measure the impact of the event.

The Geography team hosted a free screening of 'Before the Flood' followed by a panel discussion with LSE experts about the themes raised in the film.

film screening and panel discussion

Green Week

Communication is key. Make

sure the rules of the

competition are presented

coherently and send out regular

updates to keep everyone in the

loop.

STUDENT MARKETING AND RECRUITMENT

THE PROJECT

The friendly competition within the challenges encouraged the team to get involved and served as talking points throughout the week. Staff totaled upover 90,000 steps during the pedometer challenge and the variety of events catered to everyone's interests.

THE PROCESS

TOP TIPTHE RESULT

The team decided on a theme for the week and then pooled ideas for what to do. Calendar invites were sent to the department as well as an email containing a full agenda of the week. Events included a jam jar audit challenging staff to fit all of their non- recyclable waste into only one jam jar, a stationery declutter and a pedometer challenge. 

The SMR team hosted their green week to incorporate a lot of different sustainability themes.

Introducing a vegan and vegetarian range

Don't be afraid to try things out

and ask for feedback - doing

surveys or taster sessions of

your project can help you gain a

greater understanding of your

audience and what works best.

CAFE 54

THE PROJECT

As a result of the research they were able to gain greater insight into their customers. It was interesting to find out that their customers were more interested in the health benefits of eating vegan and vegetarian food over the environment; which will help the team in their future promotions. 

THE PROCESS

TOP TIP

THE RESULT

The team engaged students through surveys and hosted a sampling session during Green Week to determine which products were popular and engage their customers in the benefits of eating more vegan/vegetarian food. 

Café 54 undertook a project to increase the vegan and vegetarian range in the café. 

Recycle, recycle, recycle 

Promote your project through a

variety of channels rather than

just one or two - the more

exposure you can get the

better! 

GROSVENOR

THE PROJECT

The recycling bags were popular as students kept asking for more! The team kept a record of how many students had collected recycling bags to measure the project, and in general noticed a greater awareness of recycling. 

THE PROCESS

TOP TIPTHE RESULT

The team surveyed their residents to gauge their understanding of recycling within the hall. They then introduced some heavy duty recycling bags so that students could separate their waste in their flat before bringing it down to the refuse room. They promoted the scheme and general 'how to recycle' information through emails, posters, newsletters and social media. 

The Grosvenor team wanted to encourage their residents to recycle more.  

Bra Banks

Make the project fun and be as

creative as possible! Be clear at

the start what roles everyone

has to ensure maximum

marketing and to keep

momentum.

FINANCE DIVISION

THE PROJECT

Over 300 bras have been collected to date and the banks are permanently in place to collect even more. The project was really eye-catching and unusual, and raised awareness of breast cancer.

THE PROCESS

TOP TIP THE RESULT

The bra banks were delivered to the School and the team hosted a bring and share lunch to launch the campaign - complete with bra bunting and a bra decorating competition. The bra banks were advertised through the staff newsletter and flyers that were distributed via the post room.

The Finance team set up a number of bra banks around the School to collect bras, which would be recycle and in turn raise money for breast cancer research.

Adopt a plant & plant surgery

Arrange for someone who is

knowledgeable to be at the plant

surgery, or read-up prior to the

event. Kitchens are good venues

to host the workshop so that

any soil and water can be easily

cleaned up!

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

THE PROJECT

Staff and students enjoyed adopting a plant, and the surgery session was a great success. In the future, the team hope to host a workshop to encourage people to propagate their plants which is a cheap and effective way of having more plants in the office, while maintaining long-term engagement.

THE PROCESS

TOP TIP

THE RESULT

The team purchased plants from a local garden centre and provided each plant with a care label. They also produced a leaflet about the benefits of plants, which included some other tips about sustainability in the department.

The Economics team gave out plants to the rest of the department, and hosted a plant surgery for people to re-pot their existing plants and get advice for looking after them. 

Go green with sustainable food 

If you are holding a Fairtrade

bake sale the more people

involved in baking the better. A

good variety will demonstrate

how many different things you

can bake with Fairtrade goods -

plus it will look enticing!

CARR-SAUNDERS AND PASSFIELD

THE PROJECT

The students really enjoyed the stall and found the gardening a fun and great way to de-stress. The halls made it clear at each event what they were trying to achieve so they students had a good understanding of what it was all about.

THE PROCESS

TOP TIPTHE RESULT

Staff baked cakes/cookies using Fairtrade products and served Fairtrade teas and coffees. Throughout the day they displayed posters, handed out leaflets and spoke to the students about the importance of Fairtrade. The team bought kitchen herb gardens for the communal kitchens so the students can grow their own herbs. They planted the seeds themselves were given advice for how to care for the herbs. 

The halls organised a Fairtrade and healthy snack stall during Fairtrade Fortnight, and a DIY herb planting workshop. 

Wild Workday

Getting staff out of the office

and into the outdoors was

great! It enabled them all to do

something completely different,

volunteer in the local

community and learn about

conservation.  

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL POLICY

THE PROJECT

The day was a great team-bonding exercise! Staff enjoyed being outdoors and it was fun to do something completely different at work. Everyone was very enthusiastic and got involved including academic staff and students.

THE PROCESS

TOP TIP THE RESULT

The team organised the day with the London Wildlife Trust and advertised it to staff and students. They applied to the LSE Sustainable Projects Fund to secure funding for the event and arranged it with their departmental manager to ensure they could take the time out of the office.

The Social Policy team took 15 staff and students from the department to volunteer with the London Wildlife Trust at one of their wet woodland reserves.

Love food hate waste

Have a good system in place to

regularly check the fridge and

make sure no-one is taking an

item that is out of date.

Situating it in reception will

make it visible

BANKSIDE

THE PROJECT

The project has been very successful and a lot of food waste has been reduced by offering students seconds. The residences  have also started using the fridge, which has not only saved money and decreased waste, but also increased their gratitude and sense of belonging. 

THE PROCESS

TOP TIPTHE RESULT

The initiatives were advertised through the halls Facebook group, newsletter and the student committee. The team set up a "do's and don'ts" list to give the residences clear instructions about using the community fridge.  

Bankside introduced a seconds initiative so that the leftover food from the canteen could be offered to students. The team also created a fridge for students to leave any unwanted food for others to take instead.

Water Busters

Explaining the "why" behind

your project is really important

to get people on board and make

it clear what the issue is. It will

also help to 'sell' the benefits of

your project to others!

HIGH HOLBORN

THE PROJECT

A good number of students signed up and those that actually competed were very committed to the cause - sending in lots of photos and bagging the prizes!

THE PROCESS

TOP TIP

THE RESULT

The team advertised the competition to their residents and used a washable marker to mark the jeans of each participant. Points were accumulated for the number of hours the participants wore their jeans without washing, as well as bonus points for sending in snapchats. The participant with the most points won a prize.

Jeans often last longer the fewer times they are washed, and don't need to be washed as frequently as other clothes. High Holborn ran a competition to "keep your jeans on" to encourage students to wash less and use less water.

Regreening the office

Assess your office space in

advance - it may be better to

buy a few large plants than

several smaller ones depending

on how much space you have. 

GRADUATE ADMISSIONS OFFICE

THE PROJECT

The plants were greatly appreciated in the office and created a good buzz on arrival. In the future, the team hope to host a plant surgery to encourage staff to maintain their plants and to engage the department further.

THE PROCESS

TOP TIPTHE RESULT

The team assessed  the existing plant life in the office and researched what plants would be most suitable for their environment. Plants were purchased from a local garden centre and distributed round the office.

The GAO team introduced more plants into the office to increase the biodiversity and highlight the psychological benefits of working in a green environment.

Green Impact teams are working on campus and in Halls of Residence to reduce the

School's environmental impact.

Teams encourage staff and students to change their day-to-day behaviour and to cut their carbon footprint by taking part in projects

and implementing practical actions.  

To find out more about Green Impact or to get involved email sustainablelse@lse.ac.uk

For more information about sustainability at LSE visitwww.lse.ac.uk/sustainableLSE 

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