OXFORD Brookes University has received a second accolade for its green credentials.

The university, which was named third greenest in the UK in the People and Planet Green League earlier this year, has now become the first in the country to receive a Gold EcoCampus Award.

The award was presented to the university for its Wheatley campus, where 4,300 students are based, and recognises its approach to sustainability after it put in place an environmental management system.

Sustainability manager Harriet Waters said: “Oxford Brookes University has consistently been at the forefront of sustainability in the higher education sector.

“Being the first university to receive the Gold EcoCampus Award is yet another example of how seriously we take our corporate responsibility and demonstrates that we are fully committed to reducing our impact on the environment.”

To get the award, the university had to show how it was managing its environmental impact in areas such as waste production, energy use and travel, and highlight areas where it could continue to be more eco-friendly.

That included taking out 50 rubbish bins and replacing them with 50 recycling collectors, and changing a machine which crushed waste before sending it to landfill to a compacter for recyclable material.

Ryan Scott, from the sustainability team, said: “Recycling, rather than waste, is now the priority.

“We are also trying to increase awareness of sustainability issues in both staff and students. Brookes has won numerous things over the past couple of decades and it really shows it is a progressive, forward-looking institution.”

A recycling day was held at the university last week, with prizes on offer for people who could build a recycling bin the fastest.

The team is now hoping to go for the top platinum award in the scheme early next year.

It is then planned to roll out the improvements to the Harcourt Hill and Headington campuses, both in Oxford, with the aim being for the whole university to achieve platinum standard in 2012.

Mr Scott said: “These things are great reminders that we are heading in the right direction, but like anywhere, there is still a lot of work to be done.”

The university has also signed up to the 10:10 campaign – a pledge to cut carbon emissions by 10 per cent in 2010.

To do this, the university has fitted a thermal cover on its swimming pool at Harcourt Hill, which will cut carbon emissions by 27 tonnes a year, and it is also running the national Student Switch Off competition in halls of residence.

EcoCampus is an organisation which encourages universities to develop environmental management systems and recognises them for addressing key issues of environmental sustainability.

It is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and is a collaborative project between environmental consultants Loreus and Nottingham Trent University.

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