At CCSU, sustainability is about creating a fairer, healthier, and more connected campus community. We are committed to reducing our environmental impact, supporting students to live more sustainably, and empowering you to lead positive change.
Emma's statement
Hi, I’m Emma! I am the SU President of Academic Life and the Sustainability Lead.
I am working to increase the number of sustainable activities and initiatives run by your Students’ Union. One of my current priorities is a transport campaign for our Medway campus, aiming to introduce a bus service between Medway and Canterbury that would be open to both students and staff.
This service would help reduce traffic and carbon emissions, while also strengthening students’ sense of belonging and connection across our campuses.
Greener SU
We are reducing our environmental impact across our SU spaces by:
- Cutting single-use plastics from our Breakfast Clubs
- Prioritising recycled and low-impact materials for our events
- Embedding sustainability into job descriptions.
- Clear recycling points in SU spaces
- Encouraging the use of reusable cups to use our free coffee and hot drink machine
What we’re working towards
- Wilder Kent Award
A local accreditation scheme that helps keep us on track to becoming the most environmentally friendly organisation we can be. Green Impact Student Union Award
A sustainability award programme designed for student movements.
Medway Bus Transport Campaign
Emma is working on a campaign to secure a bus service open to our students taking them between Medway and Canterbury.
Tips for students
Looking for ways to live more sustainably while studying? Here are some easy options available to you:
- Travel sustainably:
Secure bike sheds are available at both Canterbury and Medway campuses, alongside strong public transport connections. Refillable Van:
Visit the Refillable Van on Canterbury campus on the last Thursday of every month:Augustine House: 11:30am – 12:30pm
Verena Holmes: 1:00pm – 3:30pm
- Repair Cafés:
Free drop-in spaces where volunteers help repair broken items such as clothes, small appliances, and gadgets. Repair Cafés save money and reduce waste. Local sessions can often be found via Facebook community groups. - Libby app:
A free app that lets you borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your local library with no fees and often little to no waiting time. - Heat and Eat stations:
Available across both campuses for students to heat food brought from home — helping you save money and reduce food waste.
Get involved
Want to lead change on campus? There are lots of ways to get involved in sustainability at CCSU:
- Become a Community Organiser
Work on sustainability campaigns with support from SU staff and officers. Sign up here or email imogen.atkinson@ccsu.co.uk - Share your ideas
Email hello@ccsu.co.uk with suggestions on how we can make campus greener, fairer, and more sustainable. - Start a society
Create an environmental or ethical society. Check out our list of societies and our guide on starting your own. Be inspired by our former Greenhouse Society, which provided free fresh produce to students on campus. - Borrow litter pickers
Organise your own litter pick by emailing hello@ccsu.co.uk