Welcome to Lincoln MCR’s Environment page. Here you’ll find information about ethical and environmentally friendly practices at Lincoln, what you can do as an individual, tips for those living in and out of college, and ways to get involved. But first, let’s tackle probably the most likely reason you’re on this page…
How to recycle if you live in college accommodation
Note that recycling is still very energy intensive. Producing and consuming less stuff (see below) will reduce our carbon and material footprint more than recycling.
Mixed Recycling - every kitchen should have a grey mixed recycling bin. In it, you can recycle paper and card, plastic tubs, bottles and trays with a number 1-6 inside a recycling logo (but not flimsy plastic film lids or hinged bottle caps, such as you get on shampoo and conditioner bottles), aluminium tins and cans. Everything you put in the recycling bin must be clean; greasy pizza boxes and stained takeaway cartons can’t be recycled. Black plastic and all other plastics (including soft plastics, like plastic bags and wrappers, and rigid plastic like plastic cutlery and casings of electrical goods) cannot be recycled in the bin (see below for where to recycle soft plastics).
This bin may or may not be emptied by the scouts. If your scout does not empty it, or if you have recycling that will not fit in the bin, you can take the contents (in the plastic liner) to larger bins at the following locations:
Paper recycling bins are available in the library and all computer rooms. There is also a recycling bin in the main porters’ lodge by the pidges – please use this, rather than a regular bin, for any unwanted mail.
Unwanted clothes and textiles, plus shoes and small to medium sized electricals, can be taken to the big recycling bins in Cambridge Terrace, just off St Aldates and less than 10 minutes’ walk from the main college site (map here). Broken electricals and clothes which are unwearable due to damage (but clean) are accepted.
And if you live in the EPA Centre on Museum Road, there is a red bin on site (at the back of the building) for charity donations to British Heart Foundation. Clothes, shoes and textiles which are clean and in a state to be donated are accepted.
Hazardous waste, such as aerosols and batteries, should not be thrown away like normal rubbish. Instead, dispose of these in the red ‘Haz-Box’ in the college garage (across from the lodge). The box is located in the left corner, near the staff bicycle racks.
Plastic bags and other soft plastics can be taken to certain major supermarkets, like Sainsbury’s in Cowley (map link here)
Re-using in a city like Oxford is fairly easy. Listed below are some convenient ways that you can cut down on waste by re-using or donating.
Charity shops are common in Oxford. Donate books, clothes, and other items that are in good condition to cut down on landfill waste and support these charities. The nearest charity shops are British Heart Foundation on Saint Ebbe’s Street (turn left immediately before you reach the main entrance to the Westgate shopping centre; map link here), Oxfam in Broad Street (map link here; there’s also an Oxfam bookstore in Turl Street opposite the college gates) and Helen and Douglas House , inside the Covered Market on the High Street (near Ben’s Cookies).
Also consider actively reusing by buying from charity shops; this is a cheaper, more environmentally friendly way of making purchases, and even if you’re not comfortable with pre-worn clothes or shoes, shops often sell other items such as books or kitchenware. In previous years, the MCR’s Charities Rep has organised clothing- and book-swaps, facilitating re-use within the MCR. Contact the Charities Rep for more information. There are also websites that facilitate this for a wider community, such as Freecycle (join the Oxford group here).
Other things you can do as a student
Green at Lincoln: What the college does
Lincoln College is actively working to reduce its environmental impact. Current initiatives include:
Green while living in Oxford: Specifics for homeowners and tenants
Not all Lincoln students live in college. Those who live out are still entitled and welcome to use the college’s facilities. In addition, here are some specific links to help those living in Oxford.
Being Green: Getting involved!
If you want to be involved in social, environmental and/or ethical projects during your time at Lincoln, feel free to get in touch with the MCR Environment Rep! Alternatively, see the links below for some useful starting points:
How to recycle if you live in college accommodation
Note that recycling is still very energy intensive. Producing and consuming less stuff (see below) will reduce our carbon and material footprint more than recycling.
Mixed Recycling - every kitchen should have a grey mixed recycling bin. In it, you can recycle paper and card, plastic tubs, bottles and trays with a number 1-6 inside a recycling logo (but not flimsy plastic film lids or hinged bottle caps, such as you get on shampoo and conditioner bottles), aluminium tins and cans. Everything you put in the recycling bin must be clean; greasy pizza boxes and stained takeaway cartons can’t be recycled. Black plastic and all other plastics (including soft plastics, like plastic bags and wrappers, and rigid plastic like plastic cutlery and casings of electrical goods) cannot be recycled in the bin (see below for where to recycle soft plastics).
This bin may or may not be emptied by the scouts. If your scout does not empty it, or if you have recycling that will not fit in the bin, you can take the contents (in the plastic liner) to larger bins at the following locations:
- Main college: In the garage, across from the lodge. There is also glass recycling in the Grove (outside Staircase 10), and there are several bins in the MCR.
- EPA Centre: In front of Staircase 35 (left side as you enter, before you go down the steps).
- Bear Lane: To your left upon entering Bear Lane, before the computer room.
- Little Clarendon Street: On the far side of the car park, under the blue and white sign.
Paper recycling bins are available in the library and all computer rooms. There is also a recycling bin in the main porters’ lodge by the pidges – please use this, rather than a regular bin, for any unwanted mail.
Unwanted clothes and textiles, plus shoes and small to medium sized electricals, can be taken to the big recycling bins in Cambridge Terrace, just off St Aldates and less than 10 minutes’ walk from the main college site (map here). Broken electricals and clothes which are unwearable due to damage (but clean) are accepted.
And if you live in the EPA Centre on Museum Road, there is a red bin on site (at the back of the building) for charity donations to British Heart Foundation. Clothes, shoes and textiles which are clean and in a state to be donated are accepted.
Hazardous waste, such as aerosols and batteries, should not be thrown away like normal rubbish. Instead, dispose of these in the red ‘Haz-Box’ in the college garage (across from the lodge). The box is located in the left corner, near the staff bicycle racks.
Plastic bags and other soft plastics can be taken to certain major supermarkets, like Sainsbury’s in Cowley (map link here)
Re-using in a city like Oxford is fairly easy. Listed below are some convenient ways that you can cut down on waste by re-using or donating.
Charity shops are common in Oxford. Donate books, clothes, and other items that are in good condition to cut down on landfill waste and support these charities. The nearest charity shops are British Heart Foundation on Saint Ebbe’s Street (turn left immediately before you reach the main entrance to the Westgate shopping centre; map link here), Oxfam in Broad Street (map link here; there’s also an Oxfam bookstore in Turl Street opposite the college gates) and Helen and Douglas House , inside the Covered Market on the High Street (near Ben’s Cookies).
Also consider actively reusing by buying from charity shops; this is a cheaper, more environmentally friendly way of making purchases, and even if you’re not comfortable with pre-worn clothes or shoes, shops often sell other items such as books or kitchenware. In previous years, the MCR’s Charities Rep has organised clothing- and book-swaps, facilitating re-use within the MCR. Contact the Charities Rep for more information. There are also websites that facilitate this for a wider community, such as Freecycle (join the Oxford group here).
Other things you can do as a student
- Reduce our meat consumption: Cook vegetarian meals at home, or sign up for the vegetarian dinner option in hall (by 10am the day of).
- Reduce heating in our houses: Leaving your room 1°C colder means 10% less energy used for heating. Wear extra layers instead! And if you want to ventilate your room, open the windows fully for 2 minutes instead of leaving them partially open for a longer time.
- Reduce the distances we travel: Walk or cycle when you can, and limit the amount that you travel by plane or car. College has plenty of places to park your bike,
- Reduce paper usage: Print only what you need to, and try to use paper and wood products (e.g. cardboard) that are recycled, or at least made from sustainable sources (look for the FSC logo).
- Reduce energy consumption: Ensure that lights throughout the house are off before you leave or go to bed. Try to use less hot water, and turn off and unplug electric devices that are not in use.
Green at Lincoln: What the college does
Lincoln College is actively working to reduce its environmental impact. Current initiatives include:
- Student Representation: Each year, the MCR elects an Environment Rep, who represents graduate students on the MCR committee, and in termly meetings of College’s Domestic Committee and its Sustainability Sub-Committee (a committee including the Bursar and Domestic Bursar, as well as the JCR Environment Rep, which reports to Domestic Committee). If you have any suggestions for improvements that could be made to college facilities, or have an environmental issue you would like to raise, please get in touch. You can find out who the current Environment Rep is through the MCR handbook or Facebook group, as well as this website.
- Reducing waste: In the last few years, college has introduced a booking system for the two meals that were wasted the most often: Sunday brunch, and surplus vegetarian meals. This has greatly reduced food waste. We have also installed a new printing system, which automatically prints double-sided and requires students to retrieve print jobs manually, cutting down on paper waste.
- Recycling: Both paper and mixed-recycling are available at all accommodation sites in College, and there is a central point for hazardous waste disposal (see below for more information). The MCR and JCR Committees also work to encourage recycling in common areas and at events. However, there is still plenty of room for improvement: the College’s mixed recycling rate in 2021-22 was about 40%, compared to an average of 43% across Oxford colleges (according to a survey by the Conference of Colleges in Hilary Term 2022).
- Divestment: The MCR and JCR have both passed motions encouraging the College to move its investments away from fossil fuels (with specific emphasis on divesting from coal) - see below for more information.
Green while living in Oxford: Specifics for homeowners and tenants
Not all Lincoln students live in college. Those who live out are still entitled and welcome to use the college’s facilities. In addition, here are some specific links to help those living in Oxford.
- Heating and energy use: See Oxford City Council’s advice here. Particular points of interest may include:
- If you are a homeowner, the Council suggests the Energy Saving Trust as a good resource.
- If you are a tenant, and you feel your rented property is cold, draughty or hard to heat, your first port of call should be your landlord: ask them to carry out some basic energy efficiency measures. Explain that these measures save both energy and money.
- Moreover, there are many grants and incentives available to private landlords in Oxford. From April 2016, under the Energy Act, landlords will be unable to refuse reasonable requests for energy efficiency improvements when such grants are available. For more information, see the leaflet available from the city council here.
- If this is unsuccessful, you can contact the council for further advice (again, see the leaflet). If they deem that your house is ‘excessively cold’, they can compel your landlord to take steps to improve it, such as by installing central heating or loft insulation.
- Enter your postcode here to find out when recycling will be collected in your area. This page describes what can be put in each bin to be collected by the council.
- If you’d like to recycle something that isn’t collected at your home, check here whether it is recycled elsewhere in Oxford, and where. You can find a list of ‘bring banks’ (big bins where you can recycle various things, including clothes, electricals and books) here.
- Besides the charity shops in the centre of town (listed above), there are many more in Cowley and in Headington, as well as a few in Botley and Jericho. To find one near you, see this map.
- If you are moving out of your house and have furniture that you won’t take with you, consider donating it to Emmaus. This charity – which supports individuals at risk of homelessness – will collect the furniture from your home and sell it on at their shops in Headington and Cowley. Also consider buying second-hand furniture if you’re moving into a house, to cut down on costs and waste!
- If you have a garden, consider home composting, even on a small scale. It’s quick and easy, improves your garden, and cuts down on kitchen waste.
Being Green: Getting involved!
If you want to be involved in social, environmental and/or ethical projects during your time at Lincoln, feel free to get in touch with the MCR Environment Rep! Alternatively, see the links below for some useful starting points:
- The NUS Student Switch-Off
- And the Oxford University SSO Facebook group
- The Oxford University Students’ Union’s sustainability pages
- The Oxford Climate Justice Campaign
- The Oxfordshire Community Action Groups