Sustainability that reflects real student lives
At UWS Students’ Union, sustainability isn’t about abstract targets. It’s about the reality of students’ lives.
Many of our students are commuting, working alongside study, and managing rising costs. That means sustainability has to be practical, accessible and rooted in everyday needs.
Our work aligns with the United Nations (SDGs), but we focus on what that means in practice for our students:
- tackling waste
- reducing costs
- challenging inequalities
- improving access to basic facilities
- supporting students to lead change
We also work with NUS Scotland to campaign for wider change, recognising that many of the challenges students face go beyond individual campuses.
Sustainability at a widening access university
UWS is Scotland’s leading widening access university, and our student population shapes how we approach sustainability.
- Over 75% of students are aged 21+
- 45% are first in their family to attend university
- Around 30% of new entrants are from SIMD20 communities
- 64% of students come from college pathways
- 43% of new entrants are international students
Many of our students are balancing study with work, commuting, and caring responsibilities.
This context matters.
It means sustainability cannot be about asking students to do more or spend more. It has to:
- reduce costs, not add to them
- fit around busy lives
- remove barriers, not create new ones
At a widening access university, sustainability is about fairness as much as it is about the environment.
Where sustainability meets student poverty
For our students, environmental sustainability and financial sustainability are closely linked.
We’ve focused on changes that make a real difference:
Access to food and basic facilities
- Campaigned for and secured microwaves across most campuses
- Continuing to push for this at the London campus
- Supporting students to bring and heat their own meals, reducing reliance on expensive food options
Reducing everyday costs
- Providing reusable cups during Freshers
- Distributing food containers so students can prepare meals at home and bring them to campus
- Promoting low-cost, sustainable ways to manage daily life
This work reduces waste, but just as importantly, it helps students save money and stay in education.
Student-led sustainability in action
Sustainability Society
Our Sustainability Society is at the heart of student-led environmental action at UWS.
Led by students, the society:
- runs campaigns and awareness activities across campuses
- creates opportunities for students to get involved in sustainability in practical ways
- connects environmental action with issues like cost of living, wellbeing and community
It also plays an important role in shaping the Union’s wider sustainability work, ensuring it reflects what students actually want and need.
Whether it’s organising events, supporting campaigns or contributing ideas, the society is a key driver of change across UWS.
Click here to get involved or join the Sustainability Society.
Swap & Share and Reuse Bank
Our Swap & Share project at Lanarkshire brings sustainability and cost-of-living support together:
- students donate and swap items
- a Student Kitchen Reuse Bank provides free essentials like microwavable containers, reusable cups and cutlery
- items are reused instead of thrown away
It’s a simple model that:
- reduces waste
- supports students facing financial pressure
- builds a culture of sharing and community
UNIFORCE: students leading change
We are part of UNIFORCE, a national, student-led programme bringing together Students’ Unions across Scotland.
UNIFORCE moves sustainability beyond awareness. It gives students the space, support and structure to develop real projects that respond to the challenges they see around them.
Students:
- identify issues linked to sustainability and social impact
- develop practical solutions
- work in teams to deliver their projects
- present their work at a national showcase
At UWS, students have already:
- successfully delivered multiple projects
- built confidence and real-world skills
- represented the Union at a national level
This is about more than participation. It’s about students leading change, shaping solutions, and gaining experience that goes beyond the classroom.
Spotlight: Breaking Cycles
One of our student teams, Breaking Cycles, achieved second place nationally at the UNIFORCE Awards 2026.
Their project focused on harm reduction and awareness, highlighting how issues like stress, pressure and isolation can impact students, and encouraging early support and open conversations.
Through their work, the team:
- created accessible resources for students
- raised awareness of risk and early signs
- promoted a supportive, non-judgemental approach
This project shows how sustainability at UWS goes beyond the environment - connecting to health, wellbeing and community.
Campaigning for change
Sustainability challenges don’t stop at the university.
Through our work with NUS Scotland, students helped secure free bus travel for under 22s in Scotland.
We are now campaigning to extend this to all students.
This is particularly important at UWS, where many students:
- commute long distances
- travel between campuses
- balance study with work and caring responsibilities
Affordable public transport would:
- reduce financial pressure
- improve access to education
- support more sustainable travel
By linking local action with national campaigning, we can push for change that benefits all students.
Sustainability across the Union
Sustainability is part of a wider shift in how we work:
- more student-led activities and societies
- projects that link sustainability with wellbeing and belonging
- embedding sustainability into events, spaces and decision-making
We’ve learned that sustainability works best when it is:
- relevant to students’ lives
- easy to take part in
- connected to wider issues like access and inequality
For our students, environmental sustainability and financial sustainability are closely linked.
We’ve focused on changes that make a real difference:
Access to food and basic facilities
- Campaigned for and secured microwave provision across most campuses
- Continuing to push for this at the London campus
- Supporting students to bring and heat their own meals, reducing reliance on expensive food options
Reducing everyday costs
- Providing reusable cups during Freshers
- Distributing food containers so students can prepare meals at home and bring them to campus
- Promoting low-cost, sustainable ways to manage daily life
This work reduces waste, but just as importantly, it puts money back in students’ pockets.
Green Impact Award
We take part in the Green Impact programme each year, helping us take practical action and track our progress. Green Impact is a UNESCO award-winning sustainability engagement program run by SOS-UK (Students Organising for Sustainability).
Last year, we achieved a ‘Good’ standard. This year, we’re building on that by expanding our activity, strengthening student involvement and embedding sustainability across more of our work.
