Murray Edwards College was given the accolade as part of Cambridge University’s accreditation scheme which encourages and supports Colleges and departments to reduce their environmental impact and improve sustainability.
The judges were particularly impressed with a number of initiatives at Murray Edwards including the clothes swap scheme, Green Formal and termly meetings, as well as the gardening team’s concerted efforts to involve students.
Teri Byrne, Catering Operations Manager at Murray Edwards coordinated the initiative on behalf of the College. She said: “We are thrilled to receive a Gold Green Impact Award. It is particularly pleasing as we only entered the accreditation scheme three months before the workbook submission deadline and the fact we achieved Gold is down to the hard work and commitment of everyone in our team.”
Murray Edwards’ University of Cambridge Green Impact auditors spoke very positively about the work that has been taking place throughout the College. They said: “The work done over the past few months is impressive and it is nice to see such a motivated team. In particular the effort that has been put into the gardens to make it a space for biodiversity and for the community has been amazing to see.”
In addition to the many projects underway, the College has also commissioned an innovative sustainability graphic to communicate its environmental objectives and chart its progress. It identifies and illustrates the different areas staff should be aware of in terms of ‘green’ responsibility across all teams including Housekeeping, Gardening, Catering, Porters’ Lodge and Administration.