Plastic use in Nottingham to be explored by city’s new business students

More than 1600 students will take to the streets of Nottingham to explore the use of plastic

The use and disposal of plastics in Nottingham city centre is to be examined by business students as more than 1600 new starters take to the streets for this year’s #NBSdiscover project.

On Wednesday 3 October, all of Nottingham Business School’s first-year students will work in small groups to observe how plastics are used by organisations and the public in everyday life, and what happens to plastics waste generated within the city centre.

The groups will be assigned different city centre zones and will explore how and where plastics are currently used in that area. They will also look at the different types of plastics used, facilities for disposing of plastic waste, signs of change that plastics substitutes are being used, and evidence of schemes introduced to help combat the environmental challenges that extensive use of plastics generates.

In association with the project, the students will also attend a series of challenge lectures throughout the academic year delivered by businesses and other stakeholders. The lectures are designed to showcase how organisations, consumers, policy makers, governments and global society might recognise and tackle the issues arising from plastics production, consumption and waste.

#NBSdiscover will begin at Nottingham’s Albert Hall with keynote lectures from Ed Wills Global Marketing Director of Rieke Packaging, Lizzie Carr, NTU Outstanding Alumni award winner 2018 and founder of the campaign, Plastics Patrol; and Lea Hawkes, General Manager at the waste recycling company, Veolia.

Evidence gathered from the task will form the basis of ongoing work throughout the students’ first year of study. Later in the term groups will present their findings and make recommendations for innovative ways in which Nottingham could reduce the use of plastics and become an exemplar of good practice for other cities to follow. The students will also take part in an upcycling challenge early next year.

Amanda Thompson, director of Taught Undergraduate Programmes at NBS, said: “This unique project is specifically designed to immerse all new NBS undergraduates in a current issue which has implications for business and society. In previous years we have looked at retail and food and drink in Nottingham, this year’s challenge considers a topic which is now a major concern for policy makers, governments and environmentalists, with businesses and consumers also starting to become more aware of the impact of their plastic waste.”

Nottingham Business School is one of three UK Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Champions. PRME is a United Nations-supported initiative which aims to equip business students with an understanding of sustainability and the ability to make change in the future. As part of the project, the students are also asked to take part in a personal challenge to reduce their own plastic use.

Amanda added: “#NBSdiscover forms part of a new school wide first year module called Personal and Academic Development. The project seeks to harness our students existing skills and to encourage them to think creatively about the city in which they now live. The project, and the activities to follow within the module, provide a platform for all students to develop academically, personally and professionally to be the best they can be.”