“ Hereford College of Arts recognises the climate emergency is one of the most urgent problems facing human society and life on our planet.
As an educational institution with a mission to empower creativity to enrich our world, we embrace the responsibility to take action to reduce our carbon footprint and support an environmentally sustainable future.
We recognise action is essential and that this involves both institutional and personal choices; we will work with students and staff to change institutional practices and facilitate individuals to make personal decisions that support a healthy environment.
We believe sustainable development requires a whole college approach and should be addressed within the curriculum and culture as well within the college estate and operations.
In 2019, the Principal and Governors signed a statement on behalf of the College to include Sustainability into the College’s core policies and ethos.
Principal Abigail Appleton addresses COP26
Recent Successes...
Compostable Kitchenware & Vegetarian Dishes
Our fabulous new caterer, Ed Pitts, who is using local fresh produce in his kitchens, is using compostable cutlery and biodegradable cartons for takeaway food! We hope to start using china plates for lunch and metal cutlery to reduce waste on-site. However, until then, Ed is happy to fill up your own lunchboxes and cups at the cafes in Folly Lane and College Road!
Also, there are always plenty of hot or cold vegan options, and Thursdays are meat-free across the whole menu! This is great news as by replacing meat with vegetarian sources of protein, we can reduce carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. The whole food production process of farm-to-plate totals 30% of all global greenhouse gas emissions .
Beryl Bikes at CRC
College Road now has its own Beryl bike bay to pick up or drop off bikes for HCA staff and students, organised by the wonderful Jo McGreevy. During 2020, Herefordshire saw 55,000 trips and 182,118 kilometres ridden on Beryl Bikes which saved 30 tonnes of CO2!
Try a greener way to get to campus by hiring a Beryl Bike! Users can download the free Beryl app from the App Store for iOS, and the Google Play Store for Android. Bikes can then be picked up and dropped off in any marked ‘Beryl Bays’ which are visible both on the app and from the street.
HCA Sustainability Team
The team is made up of staff and students joining together to improve the environmental impact of HCA and reduce our carbon footprint. We want to promote sustainable practices on campus and in teaching and learning in order to help build a greener future for the HCA community.
We send a regular newsletter to keep the HCA community up to date with our plans and progress. Read our previous issues here:
Get in touch via email sustainability@hca.ac.uk