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Merton’sGreen Guide
Sir Walter de Merton – founder and keen environmentalist
Ye Olde Worlde guide to 21st century Merton – Thinking Green
Mealtimes at Merton
There is a growing awareness of the negative impacts of the food industry on the environment and, more and more, people want to make sensitive and informed choices about their food. However, it can be difficult to know exactly what you are eating, and where it came from, particularly in a college dining hall setting. However, Merton’s Formal Hall is one of the super special experiences of college life and the lunches are the envy of Oxford – here is a little more information about the food at Merton so that you can enjoy the best that the college, and Oxford, has to offer.
Vegetarian option Although meat is the ‘default’ option, anyone can choose the veggie option and frequently it is tastier than the main choice. When booking for formal online there is a drop down menu to select the veg option. Simple. If you haven’t thought about the implications for the environment and your health of eating meat twice a day, every day, please do. If you are already a veggie-lover and have suggestions for the chef then don’t hesitate to contact either the JCR food rep or the JCR and MCR environmental reps. Also, the chef is very receptive to comments and enjoys feedback from students. There is even a Facebook page, Merton College Kitchen, Oxford. Like!
Food waste Merton is one of the few Oxford halls that has an open salad bar for lunch, a great option. However, food wastage in Hall is a problem so please think before you overload your plate – you can always go back to the salad bar if you are still hungry. Remember, many people in the world experience hunger and even famine. The kitchen does make an effort to save unused food but it cannot do this if the food is already on your plate.
Raw food waste from the kitchen and dining hall is composted at Merton and is used by the gardeners. Other waste is sent to a council-operated anaerobic digester outside of Oxford that produces electricity and compost.
We can learn a thing or two from these posters published in the United States and Britain as a food waste campaign from the second-world war. Some sources suggest between 30-40% of foof in the UK goes to waste. Think about it!
Sourcing Merton’s Chef, Michael Wender, is a fan of locally sourced food so a lot of ingredients come from British farms. He attempts to buy seasonal fruit and vegetables when possible, especially in summer.
Eggs are from a local, free-range supplier and milk has the Red Tractor assurance, a British food quality and animal welfare mark. The tea is Rainforest Alliance certified and coffee is Fairtrade.
Fish is ordered from Devon and should nominally be Marine Stewardship approved but you should be aware that this designation might not mean that the fish is sustainably sourced, with supply networks being what they are. The fresh chicken is sourced from a number of suppliers in the Cotswolds and France although heavily processed ‘zingers’ and the like come from Thailand. Red meat is bought from a number of British farms and the chef makes an effort to always buy from responsible, traceable suppliers.
Kitchen The kitchen was redesigned to the state-of-the-art by the Head Chef in 2004 and thus features a number of energy saving and hygiene advantages over older kitchens. The induction stoves and pressure cookers are more efficient
than traditional models and the potwash uses fewer harmful chemicals than other dishwashers. It is also designed to be easy to clean and efficient to use.
Eating in?
Local food coops For those of you who prefer a home-cooked meal once in a while, there are a number of easy options to buy your food which offer locally produced items, farmed or sourced in ways which have a lower footprint on the planet. Cultivate is a new community-benefit co-operative social enterprise set up by former Oxford students to do what supermarkets aren't doing: support local ecological farmers and get fresh, local, seasonal food direct into the city. Sourcing from a 5-acre market garden and from other small-scale local growers, Cultivate's
VegVan has a growing number of stops all over Oxford where you can get your daily veg, as well as other groceries including sourdough bread and organic free-range eggs from the University Farm available nowhere else. To find your closest VegVan stop visit www.cultivateoxford.org/vegvan. Cultivate also has a text reminder service so you don't forget your stop - just text
which stop you want reminders for to the VegPhone on 07579 965 374.
Oxford Student Food Co-op is a way of bulk-buying more socially and environmentally sustainable food, at prices which are not considerably more than supermarkets. You can get details will be sent of how to order and asked to be put on the mailing list at [email protected]. For both of these coops they are always looking for volunteers to help out too!
Fresh food marketsThere are a number of great farmers markets around Oxford. The East Oxford Farmer’s Market offers freshly baked bread, free-range eggs, dairy, various meat, Tiddly Pomms locally pressed apples, delicious food with recipes from around the world in Habib’s Middle Eastern Take Away and Naji’s Palestinian Health Food, as well as refills for cleaning supplies and a range of jewellery made from waste and recycled computers. All items are sourced within 30 miles of Oxford. It is held every Saturday
morning between 10h00 -13h00 in the East Oxford Primary School behind Tesco off Cowley Road, Oxford OX41JP. You can sign onto the mailing list at [email protected] or visit http://www.eastoxfordmarket.org.uk/ .
Every Wednesday the Oxford City Council hosts a farmers market from 09h00-17h00 in the city centre, off George Street and next to the bus station. The Gloucester Green market is a traditional and vibrant open air market offering a range of general produce including fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers and plants, household goods, cheeses, pet food, frames, books, fabrics, DVDs, mobile phone accessories, haberdashery, bags, hats, watches
and watch batteries, clothing and cakes.
Food for free! OxFood has conveniently developed a map where you can go and find places to forage around Oxford. There are all sorts of plants mushrooms, cherry trees, rosehips, wild plums, black berries, crab-apples, apple trees, elderflowers, hazelnuts and other types of free food in and around Oxford. The best foraging map for Oxford is here https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?
msid=211405190993219724789.0004921a4ff21df15eb9a&msa=0 . Just remember to responsibly forage (ask for permission on private land, leave something for the birds and wildlife in winter and don’t take everything). You can also link up with Abundance Oxford on Facebook, join OxGrow, and the Oxford Food Bank if local sourcing is up your alley.
Shopping online to reduce your carbon footprint? Have a look at http://www.ocado.com which offers specials when buying organic and seasonal produce which has the Soil Association stamp.
Veg Patch and Veggie Appreciation Group
Merton MCR has its very own Veg Patch at the back of Manor Place in which you can volunteer to work. Vegetable gardening is a life skill so if you’d like to learn, or you love gardening already and would like to get involved, please let one of the committee members know. There is also a Facebook group, ‘Merton Veg Patch.’ So far this is just an MCR group but there is definitely room for JCR members – you can ask your Enviro rep who to contact.
Merton MCR also has a dining club with a difference – a vegetarian cooking group! You may find that there are few opportunities to flex your culinary muscles when living in college accommodation. The Veggie Appreciation Group is all about sourcing fresh, local produce (maybe picking our own, at farms or in ‘the wild’) and cooking/learning to cook exciting meals in a fun group. We are new so there is a lot of scope to mix things up and try new formats – if you have any ideas or just want to know what’s going on, there is a Facebook
13/ 09/ 2012 12:43OxFood - Food for Free in Ox ford - Google Maps
Page 1 of 4https:/ / maps.google.co.uk/ maps/ ms?msid= 211405190993219724789.0004921a4ff21df15eb9a&msa= 0&mid= 1347536021
Imagery ©2012 DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Getmapping plc, Infoterra Ltd & Bluesky, The GeoInformation Group, Map data ©2012
O x F o o d - F o o d f o r F r e e i n O x f o r dFruit trees, plants, mushrooms, and other sources of free food in and around Oxford.
(Just because food is included on this map does not mean that picking it is sensible, safe or legal. Andplease leave some for wildlife to eat over the winter.)
Thankyou to everyone who's helped this map grow so far. Particular thanks to Lian for the colour-coding,and Miranda for the link from the Oxford Daily Info site.
If you want to help update or develop the map please email Jack - [email protected] · Open Collaboration · 4,723 viewsCreated on Oct 8, 2010 · By 237 · Updated Sep 2
3
Very productive rose hip bush - on your left as you come down Cottesmore Road.
On the left as you come up the ramp. Might require a bit of tree-climbing to get the best ones.
Rosehips
Pear tree
To see all the details that are visible on thescreen, use the Print link next to the map.
group, ‘Merton Veggie Appreciation,’ or speak to Emma Loftus. No previous experience necessary.
Electricity usage
If you are staying in Merton accommodation then you must be aware that the electricity usage for most college rooms is individually metered (houses on Manor Place, Mansfield Rd and St Cross are charged at a set rate). Students are allocated 1000 units per term but will be charged if they exceed this amount (at the rate of 8p/unit). Most students do not exceed their 1000 units as this is quite a generous allowance but some students go way over and receive hefty bills at the end of the term, particularly in the winter terms.
Heating is the major problem, particularly for students from warmer places. Do not open your window and have your heating on at the same time – this is a ridiculous way to waste energy. If your room is too warm then turn down the thermostat. It is normal to have to wear a cardigan or long sleeve shirt inside during winter. If you are walking around in a tank top and Bermudas all winter then you will probably exceed your electricity quota. Also, be aware that some chargers may be drawing power even when they are not charging the appliance – if they are warm to the touch, then this is probably happening.
We are trying to reduce Merton’s energy usage – the college buildings are unfortunately, by and large, quite energy inefficient. Please help by turning off lights in your rooms and kitchens and making other small behavioural changes such as:
• Turning off the washing and drying machines once the cycle is done• Using a lower temperature setting for laundry• Turning off your computer• Switching off the electric heater on the wall when leaving your room • Not having your windows open when the heater is on • Filling the kettle with only the amount of water needed when having a cup of tea• Using the right size stove hob for your pan
Waste and Recycling
Your scout is the person who will come in during the week and empty your bins, clean your room once a week and keep the kitchen and common areas clean. They are supposed to empty the bin in your room every weekday but as very few people generate so much rubbish you can just put a yellow post-it on your door (a polite note works too) and they will know you don’t want to be disturbed that day.
The recycling system at Merton is incredibly simple and recycling will probably never be so easy in your life. You have two bins in your room. One is for recyclables. The
other is not. Your scout will take both. You have two bins in your kitchen. One is for recyclables. The other is not. Your scout will take both.
Recyclables include most types of packaging such as plastic (hard and soft), metal tins, glass jars and bottles, cardboard and paper. You have a more specific list up on the pinboard in your bedroom. A good idea is to rinse out dirty jars, etc as the recycling bin is not emptied as regularly as the non-recycling bin and stuff can get smelly. Also, this simplifies the recycling process further down the line. Items that are not recyclable are things like broken mugs, greasy food wrappings and the shiny wrappers for chocolates and crisps. You should also put your food waste in the non-recyclable bin.
There are clothes and shoes banks at two locations – one at the back of Rose Lane 1 and the other near C Block at Holywell. Pop your stuff in a bag before placing it in the container. There are also heaps of charity shops in Oxford which will accept clothes, shoes and even appliances. The closest are the Oxfam shop on Broad Str and the British Red Cross on High Str. Please bear this in mind when you are leaving Oxford. There are also municipal recycling depots, which can take the stuff like broken electrical appliances. See details at http://www.oxford.gov.uk/PageRender/decER/Bring_ banks_occw.htm. The closest depot to Merton and Holywell Str is probably that at the St Clements Str car park, on the other side of Magdalen Bridge (‘A’ on the map below).
If you suspect that the recycling system in your accommodation isn’t working properly because your scout is just mixing the two waste streams from the different bins then you can contact your Environmental rep. You could also politely ask the scout why they are doing that or contact the head housekeeper, Joanne Durkin. No one wants to antagonize their scout though so it’s best to keep it friendly.
Getting in and around Oxford – Transport at Merton
By bikeOxford is a great city for getting around a bike – keeping our hearts and planet healthy. But what we don’t think about is the impact of the turnover of students that buy new bikes every year that often end up in a landfill. There are a number of options for buying good quality bikes at a similar price to first hand that often only have the lifespan of one year. Stuart Bikes provides fully-serviced second-hand bikes with recognized brands like Rayleigh, Trek and Diamondback. With the convenience of a free weekly delivery service, you can get in touch with them at http://www.oxfordbicycles.co.uk/ or call 07889 050494. Also keep them in mind when you head out of Oxford as they take back bike scraps for recycling and repairs. Oxford Reconditioned Bikes ([email protected]) is another option. Merton JCR also hosts a bike sale every year of reconditioned bikes that have been abandoned by their owners. The money raised from the sale goes to a charity chosen by the JCR.
By carDid you know that in May 2012 Oxford was also named the best place in Europe for driving an electric car, because of the high density of installation points? If you need to rent a vehicle for the day, that does not cost the earth, consider hiring an electric vehicle from Green Motion Oxford. They are based in Abingdon and you can call them on 01 235 530 333 (http://www.greenmotion.co.uk/oxford.php).
By plane or trainFor many students arriving in England from afar, studying in Oxford is a great time to hop over to the continent. Knowing that the age of Viking ships and rowing boats has past, it might be worth exploring travelling on bus or train. With some planning in advance, you can sometimes get affordable tickets on Eurostar. For cases where you still opt for buying short haul airline tickets, consider budgeting a few extra quid for carbon offset projects, or invest in a climate mitigation/adaptation project associated with the research of some Merton students by contacting [email protected] .
Second hand items
Buy Buy Buy!!!!!!!! … Really?With lots to buy for setting up a new home, there are second-hand shops which offer all sorts of items for house and home. One example is Oxorinoco (http://www.oxorinoco.org/ ). Take a walk along Cowley Road and you will find some interesting stores like Vintage, Oxfam, Bernados and more, where you can get second hand or fairtrade retro – chic clothes, painting, lamps, carpets, and all sorts that will make you feel at home. There are some treasures of books you can find there throughout the year. If you are sharp you can also get some good deals on Daily Info or Gum tree but move quickly as the adverts come up as the bikes and other items high in demand move fast at the beginning of the year. Even better, think twice about only buying items that you really need.
Water saving in Merton accommodation
Merton is aware of its usage of water and is shifting from having baths in the buildings in Holywell to converting to showers. While this takes a bit of time, this year Merton MCR is putting in timers into the graduate accommodation that has showers.
If you are staying in a place which does not have one of these timers and want one, contact the MCR Environmental reps to help you source these at an affordable cost or provide suggestions for durable alternatives, that offer a nifty range of interactive shower time monitors with options like target setting.
Disclaimers, etc. This guide was put together by Emma Loftus and Jessica Thorn – you are welcome to contact them to give/receive suggestions and to ask questions ([email protected] or [email protected] . This is an unofficial document, produced by students, for students, and does not necessarily reflect the views of College administration.
