Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Working in partnership both locally and globally, we are tackling each of the UN Sustainable Development Goals through our research and knowledge exchange, education and student experience, and through our operations. Discover how our unique commitments align with and support Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production.

Research and knowledge exchange

The University is advancing SDG 12 through a range of innovative research initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable consumption and circular economy models. A major focus of this research is on promoting responsible consumption and circularity, emphasising the extension of product lifecycles and the reduction of waste. This approach challenges traditional linear production models, which often overlook long-term environmental impacts. Researchers are exploring alternative methods such as reusing, recycling, refurbishing, and resource-sharing to create more sustainable production and consumption systems. The Management School’s Centre for Sustainable Business is at the forefront of this effort, conducting research on sustainable business practices, resource efficiency, and minimising unnecessary consumption. Their work is centred on raising awareness among businesses and consumers about the environmental impacts throughout a product’s lifecycle. Specifically, the Responsible Consumption & Circularity research theme investigates sustainable forms of consumption and production models that extend the product lifecycle, to reduce unnecessary waste and overuse of finite resources.

Operations

The University of Liverpool supports SDG 12 by adopting sustainable procurement practices, responsible waste management, and initiatives that foster a circular economy, reducing waste and enhancing resource efficiency across campus. Key initiatives include redistributing furniture, reselling surplus laboratory equipment, fostering a culture of refill and reuse to combat single-use plastics, donating leftover food to the student food pantry, and installing bins for cigarette and chewing gum litter. In collaboration with the University's main waste contractor, Suez, we are focused on reducing waste generation and increasing recycling rates. As of September 2024, we've successfully reduced general waste sent for incineration by 583.749 tonnes, or 43.11%, surpassing our target for a 50% reduction in general waste. In 2023, we introduced a Sustainable Food and Drink Policy and committed to sustainable procurement and responsible waste management within our Catering Services. This policy led to the introduction of food waste recycling across all catering outlets and accommodation buildings, diverting 54.55 tonnes of food waste from general waste. In addition, the Leave Liverpool Tidy campaign collected 443 bags of donations for the British Heart Foundation, diverting 3.54 tonnes from waste, and we gathered 100 trays (741 kg) of food for FareShare, which provided 1,764 meals that would otherwise have been discarded. Since the launch of its pilot programme in 2021, over 140 laboratories at the University of Liverpool have committed to the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF), with six labs achieving Gold status in 2023/24.

Education and student experience

The University supports SDG 12 through education and student engagement by offering innovative modules that explore topics like Consumer Behaviour and Environmental Science. The Guild of Students provides numerous opportunities for students to actively participate in promoting responsible consumption and sustainable practices. Initiatives like becoming a Flat Sustainability Champion, encouraging energy-saving and recycling in student accommodation, recycling audits, sustainable crafting, litter picks, food growing, and the Student Switch Off campaign. Our MSc Project Management students recently reached the APM Challenge finals with a project on student waste prevention. These activities encourage mindful consumption and contribute to a more sustainable campus culture.

Case studies

New sustainable event planning guidance

During Sustainability Week 2024, the University introduced a new Sustainable Events Guidance, a resource to help event organisers incorporate sustainability into event planning, management, and evaluation. The guide, developed with input from university staff and EDI experts, includes a checklist and resources to ensure sustainability principles are applied to events of all sizes and themes. It aims to inspire staff, students, and societies to lead by example and reduce the environmental impact of their events. The guidance highlights key considerations such as venue selection, focusing on facilities, waste management, and accessibility; transportation, promoting venues accessible by public or active travel to reduce the carbon footprint; food and beverage choices, encouraging locally sourced, plant-based options; and merchandise, urging organisers to question the necessity and environmental impact of promotional items. The guide is tailored for University of Liverpool staff but is also valuable for students and external partners.

Master’s students #LeadingTheWay in sustainability

A team of MSc Project Management students from the University of Liverpool's Management School reached the final round of the Association for Project Management (APM) Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire Project Management Challenge. The team, consisting of Sagar Datrange, Aditi Gaikwad, Rakhi Hiremath, and Shubham Kadam, saw the challenge as an opportunity to drive positive societal change while advancing their studies. With support from their Director of Studies, Dr. Jennifer Davies, and other faculty members, the team managed a project focused on Student Waste Prevention, aligned with the Leave Liverpool Tidy initiative. Their activities included waste management workshops, social media campaigns, and litter clean-ups, aiming to reduce waste and promote environmental sustainability within the university community. The team sees this project as a vital step toward their career goals, equipping them with essential skills for the corporate world while contributing to societal and environmental well-being. Dr. Davies praised their dedication, noting that their success in reaching the final demonstrates the practical application of their studies and enhances their employability. The team presented their project to the APM panel in June 2024, showcasing how their hands-on experience is preparing them to be future project leaders.

Rethinking food waste

During 2023/24, the University made significant strides in sustainable food practices by turning food waste into valuable resources, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Historically, food waste was incinerated, which, while better than landfill, was less efficient than anaerobic digestion—a process that converts waste into energy and nutrient-rich fertilizer, cutting emissions by over 58%. To support this, the University introduced separate food waste collections across Halls of Residence and Catering facilities, deploying over 800 food caddies. Educational initiatives and recycling audits ensured students correctly disposed of waste, leading to the recycling of over 22 tonnes of food waste since September. This initiative contributed to a 32.75% reduction in general waste incineration for the academic year, aligning with the University’s goal to halve waste by 2025. The collaboration between Residential Services, Catering teams, and the Sustainability Team was instrumental in this success, fostering a stronger culture of sustainability on campus.

Overcoming challenges in sustainable plastic packaging

A University of Liverpool-led project, in collaboration with the University of Manchester, Unilever, and IPL Brightgreen, has been tackling the challenges of producing more sustainable plastic packaging for fast-moving consumer goods. The three-year initiative focuses on increasing the use of recycled resins in packaging without compromising quality and performance. The team have developed a framework to understand the economic, social, and environmental impacts of circular supply chains for recycled plastics. This Natural Environment Research Council-funded project aims to create smarter, sustainable packaging by 2025, reducing plastic pollution through cleaner supply chains. Despite the benefits of thermoplastics, such as their durability and low weight, the recycling of petroleum-based plastics is limited due to quality degradation during the recycling process. Challenges include the higher cost of recycled resins and the difficulty in maintaining performance with increased recycled content. The research also addresses supply chain disruptions, including sorting complexities and maintaining supply of specific plastic grades. The project aims to develop a profiling framework to assess how different recycled plastic configurations perform under various scenarios. This framework will help define industry-led quality standards, increase the market value of recycled plastics, and support the development of standardized tests for post-consumer recyclates (PCR). Ultimately, the project seeks to overcome the economic and technical barriers to using recycled plastics, promoting more sustainable packaging solutions in the FMCG sector

Advancing sustainability in manufacturing

The University of Liverpool became a key partner in the £11 million Sustainable Chemicals and Materials Manufacturing Hub (SCHEMA), a research initiative led by the University of Oxford. Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and supported by £22 million in partner commitments, SCHEMA aims to revolutionise the design, production, and recycling of chemicals and polymers, moving away from virgin petrochemicals and enhancing recycling rates. Liverpool’s involvement is spearheaded by researchers from the Department of Chemistry and the Materials Innovation Factory. The work focuses on developing digital tools to create sustainable materials, contributing to broader efforts to achieve net zero. The Liverpool team will utilise the university’s automated and digital discovery capabilities to identify new, sustainable manufacturing pathways and evaluate catalysts for industrial use. SCHEMA also involves researchers from the Universities of Bath, Cardiff, York, and Cambridge, collaborating across sustainable chemistry, process engineering, polymer science, and digital technologies. The research emphasises the importance of achieving net zero emissions in the chemical industry, which underpins many essential sectors. SCHEMA is one of five EPSRC-funded hubs aimed at fostering innovation and sustainability in manufacturing.