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Find out about the latest sustainability news at the University of Sussex.
The future of facilities management at Sussex: working to make our campus greener
Posted on behalf of: The Better Campus team
Last updated: Thursday, 17 July 2025
With plans for a new dedicated sustainability manager, phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles in our fleet, and a range of water and waste reduction initiatives, with our new partners, OCS, we are putting environmental sustainability at the forefront of the new facilities management contract.
On 1 July, OCS replaced Mitie within the Sussex Estates and Facilities (SEF) partnership and work is already underway on some significant improvements to advance our environmental sustainability goals.
During the bidding process the experienced team at OCS showed a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by Sussex’s beautiful but aging estate. Over the course of the seven-year contract, they have pledged to help us become one of the most sustainable universities in the world, and suggested several improvements to help achieve this, including:
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Recruiting a dedicated FM sustainability manager to work closely with the existing Sustainability Team at Sussex to ensure our sustainability objectives are at the heart of Estates operations
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Investing in water use-reduction initiatives to save money and resources
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Improving the way we manage our waste, thereby reducing consumption, increasing recycling rates and sending less waste to landfill or for incineration
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Supporting biodiversity through even more eco-friendly landscaping and community outreach schemes.
Sharing goals for a greener estate
The new sustainability manager will work within the partnership to identify opportunities to create positive social, economic, and environmental impacts on campus.
They will work closely alongside the grounds, logistics and maintenance teams to support our biodiversity and sustainability schemes, and collaborate with the Sustainability Team and operational colleagues to make sure we are working towards the same goals.
Helping to save water (and money!)
The person taking on this exciting new role will also be responsible for interrogating data to identify where we can reduce water use, which could include the introduction of a robust system for detecting and fixing leaks. Smart irrigation systems and weather-based irrigation controllers will help to limit water waste, and improved systems for collecting water and treating wastewater will be introduced over the longer term.
Taking control of our waste
In their bid, OCS proposed ways to help improve our recycling rates, which are currently around 33%. This includes steps to reduce over-use of cleaning products, soaps, toilet rolls, bin liners and other consumables by auditing current usage, identifying high-impact areas, and setting realistic and quantifiable targets for reduction.
Other future improvements:
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OCS will aim to phase out petrol and diesel cars over the course of the contract, and reduce fuel consumption across our fleet - which is currently 50% electric
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Chemical-free and sustainable cleaning products will be trialled to reduce environmental impact
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Biodiversity will be supported through even more eco-friendly landscaping, as well as offering educational programmes for staff and students on marine conservation
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OCS have also committed to looking at how they can make a positive contribution to the local area, whether through volunteering opportunities or through partnering with local community groups.
We'll share more stories about these initiatives as they come to life during the 13-month transition period.
You can read about how the new partnership will make it easier to log and track jobs, enhance our existing processes for carrying out maintenance, and help to improve the student experience via supported internships, student job opportunities and better mental health support.
If you have any questions about the future of our FM services, please contact bettercampus@sussex.ac.uk