Milton Keynes College Group Launches Refill Campaign to Tackle Single-Use Plastics

Milton Keynes College Group has launched a new campaign to cut plastic waste across its campuses — backed by the donation of 600 reusable bottles from SUEZ recycling and recovery UK.

The initiative, called the Refill Campaign, encourages students and staff to switch from single-use bottles to refillable ones made entirely from recycled plastic. The move aims to reduce the thousands of plastic bottles sold each year at the College’s Chaffron Way and Bletchley campuses.

College Group sustainability lead Lauren Gallyot said: “We’re encouraging everyone to use their refillable bottles so we can dramatically cut the amount of plastic we’re throwing away. Last year we sold nearly 30,000 plastic water bottles between our two campuses. That has to stop.”

The campaign launched during student Welcome events, where SUEZ’s Karen Thompson joined College staff and sustainability group students to distribute bottles and speak about the environmental impact of plastic waste.

As part of the launch, an installation named Clive the Hermit Crab — created by art and public services students using recycled materials — highlighted the effects of single-use plastics on the environment.

The campaign was inspired by the winning idea from the College’s Green Futures competition, presented by students Katherine Watkiss and Jonathan McTeer. Working with the sustainability team, they helped turn their concept into a campus-wide initiative.

Jonathan said: “We were shocked by how much plastic waste we produced as a college. We’re pleased this campaign is being launched for new and returning students — it’s an important step towards wider change.”

SUEZ contract manager Peter Marshall added: “Creating a more sustainable future is part of our core commitment in Milton Keynes. We’re proud to support the Refill campaign as it helps build a cleaner, greener city region.”

Lauren Gallyot said the College will track its progress over the next year. “This is just one of many initiatives we’re developing as part of our Climate Action Plan — and they only work because our students and staff are so engaged and enthusiastic for change.”