The Impact of Unblocktober: with the University of Hertfordshire

Wednesday 30th October, 2024

Since their launch in 2022, the annual Unblocktober Awards have been a fantastic way of encouraging our amazing supporters to go above and beyond in embodying the goals and values of our campaign, and to recognise the very best for their efforts to save our sewers and seas.

Among the winners of the 2023 Unblocktober Awards was the University of Hertfordshire, who took part in the campaign for the first time last year, and were awarded with the 2023 Newcomer of the Year award. Having learned about Unblocktober through an environmental awareness calendar, the university’s Environmental Sustainability team organised various activities to promote the Unblocktober message, including a “What Can Go Down the Drain?” game to educate students and staff that fat, oil and grease, food and items containing plastic cannot go down the sink or toilet.

A special Unblocktober stall was set up on both of the university’s campuses, and the university’s Estates team also introduced bins in all of the university’s toilets and strainers to all of the sinks. We were blown away by their efforts, which is why we chose them as worthy award winners!

One year on, we spoke to Jessica Money, engagement coordinator for the university’s Environmental Sustainability team, to see how the Unblocktober message has continued to resonate with the student body…

How can campaigns like Unblocktober help promote environmental causes for students and young people?

It is really important to have campaigns such as Unblocktober to promote good environmental habits to students. Unblocktober, in particular, provides useful resources that can be adapted for all ages in order to educate them about environmental solutions.

It is vital to raise awareness amongst the younger generation, as they are the key to increasing the reach of the environmental message. Young people can pass information on through multiple channels, including to family and friends, sharing through social media and taking knowledge with them to improve their future industries.

Has awareness of good drainage habits been improving among the University of Hertfordshire’s students?

Since taking part in the campaign last year, general awareness of good drainage habits has improved. More students are aware of products with hidden plastics in them that should not end up in our waterways. There are still common misconceptions with some items, particularly those of a small size such as food crumbs, and so this needs to be worked on.

Students are keen to do the right thing; awareness just needs to be raised, as a large number of our students come from various countries around the world with different systems in place, and so there is a lot to learn.

What steps forward has the university taken since last year?

Since our Unblocktober Award win last year, we have ensured that the ‘What can go down the drain?’ game returned for 2024, and have delivered sessions to staff and students using the Unblocktober resource pack.

We have also worked with our accommodation team to promote good drainage habits in the residences. Steps that we have taken include developing signage for halls of residences and ensuring that sink strainers and bathroom bins are in place.

As well as continuing our regular litter picks to help reduce the waste at risk of entering our waterways, we have put on a number of recycling fairs to communicate the waste hierarchy and correct waste disposal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Jess and the rest of the team for their continued support for the campaign! You can learn more about the University of Hertfordshire’s sustainability commitments here.

To learn more about the Unblocktober campaign as a whole, and how to sign up, click here.