August is ‘Spotlight on Waste’ month, which presents the perfect opportunity to rejoice in the University’s new zero landfill policy. There are lots of activities going on around the University to highlight how important it is to cut down the positively terrifying amount of waste which the University disposes of each year.    The Environment and Energy section is organising a ‘waste & recycling roadshow’, with prizes on offer for staff visiting their stands to hear about the new waste contract, as well as a chance to try your hand at a waste sorting challenge. The following dates and locations are confirmed, and there will hopefully be some more a bit later in the month:

• Clifford Albutt building, 16 August, 12.00pm
• Maxwell Centre, 22 August, 12.00pm

If these don’t grab your attention, or the times are not convenient, you might want to take a look at the goingzerowaste challenge. It’ll show you 30 different ideas for saving resources and avoiding unnecessary waste, and each picture that you click on will give you information about why you might want to integrate that action into your daily life. It’s not all about waste - some of it is lifestyle too, and on glorious summer days we can definitely be in favour of challenge number 5.    Closer to home (the goingzerowaste challenge is American…) here are some easy tips for things we can all do right here in the RFB:

• Use the book exchange (on the first floor corridor)
• Re-use envelopes (there’s a stack of them in the first floor lobby)
• Contribute to and take from the stationery exchange (same place as the books…)
• Always print double sided 
• Let the Facilities team know if you have superfluous furniture, or if you need the odd table or a chair. The mey be able to help you out by using WARPIT https://www.warp-it.co.uk/company/cambridgeuni 
• Bring in your own mug or cup for the coffee machine and the water dispensers

Everyone loves quizzes, so here’s one (and yes, there are prizes…) to test your knowledge: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6JZ53NS    And finally, here’s a reminder, as there seems to be some confusion, about waste bins in this building:

• Blue bins are for recycling 
• Office bins with white/clear plastic bags are also for recycling, and there is a 10% tolerance so the occasional apple core is not a problem!
• Special paper bins are for paper recycling
• Office bins with black liners are for general waste which would once have gone to landfill but will now be ‘recovered' under the new Mick George contract