At Northampton College, we are always looking at positive ways to promote environmental improvement.
Through our college-wide ‘Go-Green Initiative’, we encourage staff and students alike to consider the impact we have as a college, and how we can do our part to create a sustainable future. Students also have the opportunity to take on a more active environmental role at college, by raising any suggestions they may have with the Northampton College Students’ Union (NCSU).
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Our campuses
We continue to be conscious of our energy consumption and carbon footprint, which we combat through the use of building management systems, a green sedum roof, LED lighting, biomass heating and 952 kW of photovoltaic solar panels which cover the College's electrical 'base load'. Annually, our photovoltaic solar panels are generating in the region of 170,688 kWh.
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Big Switch Off
Our Big Switch Off campaign features a range of initiatives including:
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Sockets switched off after Hair and Beauty sessions.
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Timed charging of laptops and equipment for short slots rather than overnight.
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The creation of a sustainable dark room workshop for the Photography department.
This campaign has resulted in a 22% reduction in our electricity use.
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Biodiversity
Our Booth Lane and Daventry campuses include several protected garden areas to encourage wildlife. The Lagoon at our Booth Lane campus is a protected conservation area – sealed off to encourage plant growth and wildlife.
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Green Facilities
At our Booth Lane campus we have flagship green facilities where students are learning about sustainable construction practices. They include The Green House Project learning lab eco classroom and the Green Skills Centre – our £500,000 renewable energies education and training facility.
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Waste and Recycling
Recent improvements made to waste management at the College include:
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Recommissioning two Biomass boilers to burn woodchips, providing heating and hot water for the main building at Booth Lane.
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Eliminating the sale of single-use plastic water bottles in all three college canteens, replacing these with reusable water bottles.
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Ensuring that paper recycling bins are available in hundreds of locations around the College, making it quick and easy for staff and students to recycle their unwanted paperwork.
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Introducing an incentive of 20p off any hot drink when you use a reusable coffee cup at all three college canteens, in an effort to reduce single-use plastic waste. Branded reusable coffee cups are available to purchase on campus for this purpose.
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No waste from college campuses is sent to landfill.
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All food waste from college kitchens is separated and used as biofuel.
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All college waste metal is fully recycled.
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Travel and Transport
All three of our campuses are easily accessible by public transport, and our Student Services team work hard to advise students on the options available.
If students would like to get the bus into college, there are a variety of bus passes that can be purchased, and we also offer help with the cost of a bus pass through the bursary. We also have plenty of secure cycle points at all three campuses, and encourage all students to travel on foot or by bicycle where possible.
The addition of the Voi e-scooter rental scheme* to Northampton’s roads has also made a positive difference and we see many students opting to make use of this system to get to and from the gates of our campuses, further helping to reduce emissions.
*Please note that all staff and students using these e-scooters must be fully aware of, and compliant with, the law.
Staff that drive to and from work, or use a car for college business, are given the opportunity to donate 1p for every mile travelled to the College Tree Fund. Donations are used to plant trees on the college campuses or at community orchards/nature reserves around Northamptonshire.
We have also installed electric vehicle charging points in our car parks at Booth Lane and Lower Mounts, future-proofing our campuses and enabling staff to make the most of green technology.
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Awards
Our green efforts have earned us national and international praise. In 2023 we won the Sustainability of the Year title at the prestigious 19th UK & Ireland Green Gown Awards and in 2024 we were the only further education college to reach the final of the Sustainability Institution of the Year category at the International Green Gown Awards.
