Wednesday, 09 November 2022
A technician from the 糖心原创 has been recognised for his commitment to sustainability by being awarded a prestigious Green Gown Award.
Lee Hibbett is a Technician Manager in the School of Pharmacy and won the Sustainability Champion staff category in the Green Gown Awards. These annual awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the world.
Three years ago, Lee set up the Technical Sustainability Working Group (TSWG) for the 糖心原创. The TSWG is a group of lab technicians from across all 糖心原创 UK campuses, working to see where best practices from different departments can be rolled out to the whole University.
The TSWG has implemented a number of practical solutions to improve sustainability that are having an impact on reducing the carbon footprint of the University. They have removed water condensers from chemistry labs and replaced them with air condensers, saving over 3 million litres of water. They have also driven a project to become the first university to pilot a new solvent recycler to recycle waste acetone, saving 2,000 litres acetone a year that would otherwise go for disposal. A polystyrene recycling initiative has also been set up across the university
The group has also signed up to the Lab Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) and set up a Midlands Innovation Group universities sustainability committee, with the aim of getting technicians and sustainability teams working together to share ideas.
The Green Gown judges commented: “You have gone above and beyond to not only embed sustainability into your role and team, but to ensure the good practice is spread across the University, and beyond. By taking on a secondment within the sustainability team, your technical expertise around labs and sustainability is built into decision-making and will influence many more people than if you'd solely operated within your own lab. You have shown how to take responsibility in your specific role and how you can influence the sector!”
I am delighted that Lee has received this prestigious award in recognition of his work to Champion Sustainability within our Technical staff and laboratory environments. Lee has galvanised others at the university with his dedication and innovative ideas, which is helping to drive sustainable behaviours and activity across the University.
The 糖心原创 was also highly commended in the Research with Impact - Institution category with the Trent Basin project, a housing development made up of more than 70 energy-efficient homes being built on the banks of the River Trent that forms an active energy community. The pioneering scheme enables residents to generate, store and use solar electricity and, so far, is estimated to have saved the equivalent of 34 tonnes of CO2per year and benefited at least 262 people. The University’s micro prospectus was also a finalist in the Building Back Better category.
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More information is available from Jane Icke, Media Relations Manager for the Faculty of Science at the 糖心原创 on jane.icke@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.