NUS Services Equipment Project

3rd October 2008

NUS Services is running a one year research project over the 2008/09 academic year looking at efficient ways to manage the free supplier equipment used in students’ union bars and retail space. Working with suppliers, manufacturers and twenty-one pilot unions NUS Services is conducting a number of trials on equipment in students’ unions to establish how each can be managed for energy efficiency.

Over twenty types of equipment are being studied including soft-drink post-mix machines, bottle coolers, dairy-deck fridges, beer coolers, games machines, plasma TV screens and illuminated poster display boards. The supplier that provides the greatest quantity of free equipotent into students unions is currently Coca-Cola through the soft drink deal in bars and shops. As such this project will focus on Coca-Cola equipment and the project is funded by Coca-Cola Great Britain.

The project will culminate in a series of concise guidance sheets that staff will be able to use to manage equipment. The project findings and guidance documents will begin to be made available from January 2009 via www.nussl.co.uk and www.nus.org.uk. For more information email the Ethical & Environmental Committee at NUS Services. This project has huge potential for significant carbon savings both within and beyond the students’ union movement.

The twenty-one pilot unions are Bath Spa University Students' Union; Birmingham City Students' Union; Derby College Students' Union; Edinburgh University Students' Association; Heriot-Watt University Students' Association; Hull University Union; Keele University Students' Union; Liverpool Students' Union; Loughborough Students’ Union; Manchester Metropolitan Students' Union; Newcastle University Union Society; Nottingham Trent Students Union; Oxford Brookes Students' Union; Solent Students' Union; University of Arts London Students’ Union; University of Birmingham Guild of Students; University of Bradford Union; University of Leicester Students' Union; University of Salford Students' Union; University of West of England Students' Union; University of York Students' Union