We all feel a sense of responsibility when it comes to the environment, and we are here at New Horizons Ireland are no different. We strive to keep aware of our impact on the environment and below are some of the steps we have taken to reduce that impact.
Bottled water free zone
Plastics are a big problem in the environment considering that they never biodegrade and stick around for ever. So in order to do our small part, our kitchen is equipped with a water filter where you can use our glasses for a refreshing drink.
Disposable cup free zone
Did you know that disposable coffee cups are not recyclable? Thanks to the plastic lining on the inside of the cup, it is very difficult to separate the plastic from the paper and therefore, no recycling facilities in Ireland currently have the means to recycle them. You are very welcome to come in early, grab a coffee here and to use your own travel mug for a cuppa on the way home. Or just take advantage of our mugs provided in our kitchen and help yourself to our complimentary tea and coffee any time.
And if you are looking for a Conscious Cup coffee shop nearby, you can use this handy map. This map identifies cafes who welcome your reusable cup and will offer you an incentive to bring your own.
Energy efficiencies
We also encourage students and staff to turn off computers, lights, aircon and other electrical devices whenever possible. All bulbs are replaced with LED energy efficient equivalents. And we have also tried to make our computer infrastructure as energy efficient as possible by taking steps like moving servers to the cloud, as well as scripting commands to shut down all computers in the building.
Digital courseware
We encourage students to opt for digital manuals rather printed copies, not just for environmental reasons but for the great advantages brought by digital courseware. Given that it’s digital, it’s always being updated and this means you have the very latest information in your manual. Other advantages include increased transportability, searchable text and some digital courseware gives you the option to add notes to the manual.
Read more about our digital courseware options
Recycling
Recycling is of course very important and recycling bins are provided on each floor. All our cardboard is also sent for recycling.
Transport
We are situated within two minutes walk of the Jervis Street Luas stop and numerous bus routes on the quays. We would therefore encourage staff and all attendees to use public transport wherever possible.
Several of our staff take advantage of our bike rack on the sun deck and cycle to work each day. We would encourage students to also use our bike rack. And there is a Dublin bike station conveniently located just outside our building on Strand Street Great.
Feedback
We also recognise here at New Horizons Ireland that we could be doing more, and we encourage suggestions from staff and attendees on ways to further help the environment.