Newham College London
From Principles to Practice
Finalist, Creating Impact
About
From Principles to Practice is a college-wide waste management initiative that turns circular economy principles into measurable action. Embedded in the College’s Green Strategy and aligned with the FE Climate Action Roadmap and DfE Climate Strategy, it connects Estates, catering, procurement, IT, curriculum, governance and community engagement. Key actions include a zero-waste-to-landfill approach with Bywaters, improved waste segregation with recycled-material bins, Simpler Recycling compliance, reduced single-use plastics, a reusable cup discount scheme, IT reuse through Sustainable Tech 4 Good, Leanpath food waste monitoring, BRAD waste reporting and telematics-enabled compactors. Funded through operational budgets, supplier partnerships and targeted internal investment, the initiative embeds sustainability into everyday practice rather than relying on major capital funding. Outcomes include a 2.3% reduction in total waste, a 10.6% reduction in incinerated waste, a 3.7% rise in recycling and we also avoided 152 tCO2e from the diversion of 1,003kg of IT equipment from recycling.
Top 3 learnings
- We recognized behavioural change as a gradual but steady process.
- We have learnt that continuous stakeholder engagement drives successful outcomes
- We have learnt that having a clear strategy and measurable indicators enable progress to be
tracked and improved upon
What it means to win
Winning the Creating Impact category at the Green Gown Awards would recognise the meaningful and measurable change delivered through our project, while increasing its visibility across the College community. It would further demonstrate the positive impact achieved for students, staff, suppliers, and the wider community.
Sustainable Development Goals
| 2026 | |
| Creating Impact | |
| Finalist, UK and Ireland |
More from the 2026 awards
Charles Sturt University
Restoring Nature, Inspiring Futures: 20+ Years of Biodiversity Leadership
Read More
Finalist, Nature Positive
