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Sustainable UCL

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The Loop

Purchasing and consumption can have far reaching impacts; production drives natural resource depletion and poor working conditions, whilst waste disposal pollutes natural habitats. As a leading university, we are rethinking our behaviours to address unsustainable consumption.

What is UCL doing?

UCL has committed to reduce overall waste by 10% by 2027 and achieve an 85% recycling rate by 2034, with year-on-year improvements. ​We are commited to reducing, reusing, repairing and sharing, eliminating single use items and maximising the value from our waste products. We do this by:

  • Maintaining certification in the Responsible Procurement Code;
  • Engaging our top 500 suppliers in sustainable pracice; 
  • Complying with Modern Slavery audits;
  • Introducing sustainability ratings for products on the e-marketplace and canteens; 
  • Training purchasing staff in sustainable and ethical procurement best practices;
  • Reducing food waste, and expanding existing waste food redistribution schemes;
  • Establishing a logistics hub and tracking deliveries;
  • Launching a high-profile recycling communications campaign;
  • Rolling-out key single-use plastic alternatives in catering and laboratories;
  • Putting Electronic Records Management System in place;
  • Expanding our end of year reuse scheme for student accommodation.

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Loop case studies

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Research

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Modern Slavery

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Central to “The Loop”  is taking drastic and innovative steps to address and minimise slavery and exploitation throughout our supply chain. See what actions we are taking.

> Modern Slavery

UCL Circular Economy Lab

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An exciting cross-faculty aiming to use UCL's expertise to improve the design of buildings and products, their re-use and recycling, and the return of their constituent materials back to the economy. 

> Circular Economy Lab