Sustainable living

Cycling is a great way of getting round to and from campus and around town - it's often quicker than waiting for the bus, helps you get some exercise (it adds up!) and keeps money in your bank that can be spent on better things!

It's also great for the environment, with every 10 miles of cycling saving approximately a litre of petrol or diesel compared to using a car. You can view a short film about cycling at the University and get a great overview about the benefits and how to access bikes.

Your Students' Union has been working closely with the University to support active travel.

Over 2020 the University created 170 new bike spaces across campus.

Need a hand keeping your bike in good shape?

Pop into one of our Dr. Bike sessions that run every Monday from 9:30 to 15:30.

These are typically held just below Link Bridge by Recyke-a-bike and are free (beside the Macroberts Reception). 

Low cost bike rental is available on and off campus.

The University subscribes to Nextbike, a bike rental scheme that has available bikes for you across campus and town.

This means that you can rent a bike for free for the first hour! Simply take out a bike from one of the Nextbike stations on campus, ride into town and lock the bike at another Nextbike station. So catching a train does not mean waiting around and paying extra for a bus!

You can even get free access when travelling abroad - heading to Munich's Oktoberfest? You're covered!

Sign up to Nextbike

You can hire a bike from Forth Environment Link's bike library, free of cost.

Find out how you can hire yours

As a cyclist, you're an active part of traffic. For your own safety and the safety of other road users, these are some things to keep in mind:

1. You operate a carriage - it may sound silly, but that's what you do by law. As such, you are a road user and not allowed to cycle on the pavement.
2. Be seen - it can be surprisingly hard for other road users to spot you. Especially since not every driver is used to having cyclists around.
   1. Make sure you're using lights. Not only in the dark, but also when it rains or when it's misty.
   2. Make sure your lights are bright enough.
   3. Although not a legal requirement, reflective clothing can vastly improve your visibility. You can get a high viz vest for under £2!
3. Protect yourself - Buy a helmet. Although it won't prevent an accident, it can protect your head in case you do get into an accident. However, when you get a helmet, make sure it fits properly and you wear it correctly!
   1. Make sure your bike is in good working order. Particularly your brakes.
   2. Remember to give yourself much more time to break when it's wet.
   3. Where possible, cycle a door-length away from parked cars.
   4. Cycle in the centre of narrow roads to discourage cars from dangerous overtaking maneuvres
4. Know the code - as a cyclist, you have to adhere to UK traffic rules as outlined in the highway code.
   1. Have a look at the rules relating to cyclists.
   2. Cycling Scotland have a great video series for those wanting a comprehensive introduction on Essential Cycling Skills.

And remember, drivers need to adhere to rules too in order to keep cyclists safe!

The simplest way and quickest way you can eat more sustainably is reduce the amount of meat and dairy you consume.

The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that livestock production is responsible for 14.5% of global carbon emissions, making the industry one of the largest single emissions contributors.

A complete switch to a plant-based diet can reduce your carbon footprint by about 800 kg per year, and if everyone became vegetarian the emissions from food would drop by 60% by 2050.

However, even replacing red meat with chicken can save 90% of your meat-based CO2 emissions. Lots of excellent information can also be found by reading SOS-UK's Sustainable Food Guide, to help you make the best informed decisions. 

This graphic shows the emissions of various common food, and shows how the production methods for a food can drastically change the final emissions as well. This means for those who don’t want to give up meat, finding locally produced, generally grass-fed options can make it a more sustainable option. That said even the highest emission plant-based protein alternative, tofu. Other alternatives like lentils have even smaller footprints.

For those struggling to imagine recipes without their favorite meats, the Earth and Environment Society hosts virtual food huddles every week to share vegetarian/vegan meals and discussing environmental topics.

There are also knock on effects of a plant-based diet. Since a large proportion (68%) of agricultural land is used to grow grains used in livestock feed, a transition to plant-based diets would allow a significant portion of that land to be rewilded and reallocated for conservation and carbon sequestration. Only 20-30% of this land would be required for food production.

Something to always consider when buying food is where the food comes from. Transporting food over long distances, especially when using air travel, comes with a carbon cost.

Therefore, preferentially choosing foods made locally can keep these emissions to a minimum. For those looking for products made in and around Stirling, Neighborhood Food is a good place to look at what’s available nearby.

Finally, the Community Food Initiative offers a pantry and fridge in the Students’ Union.

It aims to alleviate food poverty and financial stress, whilst encouraging food sustainability and reducing waste. All the food that is donated is quality checked by our staff, and then placed into the Community Food Initiative next to the Green and Blue Space.

You can help help this initiative running by donating food, through our card machine at the Green & Blue or donating online, contact gabi.brame@stir.ac.uk for more details.