Students at Falmouth and Exeter University in Cornwall were able to access affordable household essentials and make more sustainable choices throughout Welcome Week, thanks to the Kernow Reuse Pop-Up Shop, organised and run by SUEZ in partnership with Cornwall Council.
The initiative, which visited Penryn Campus, saw more than 900 pre-loved items sold and rehomed, including 25 bicycles, kitchenware and other essentials. In total, 1.8 tonnes of items were diverted from landfill, reducing waste and helping students avoid buying new household basics.
Lynn Storey, Head of Facilities, said “We were delighted to welcome the Kernow Reuse Pop-Up to our Campus. It provided students with practical support as they settle into university life and encourages positive sustainable habits that can benefit both students and the environment long term.”
SUEZ have extensive experience of working with Universities across the UK, encouraging them to become more sustainable by offering the opportunity to host a Kernow Reuse shop on campus.
Based out of a converted shipping container, the reuse shop provides a range of quality pre-loved items to help students settle into university life while reducing the need to buy new and keeping quality reusable goods in circulation. The initiative introduced students to the principles of reuse and circular living at the very start of their university life in Cornwall.
The pop-up was delivered as part of the wider Kernow Reuse initiative, which operates across nine Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC’s) in Cornwall, providing opportunities for residents to donate unwanted items and purchase affordable second-hand goods.
Rebecca Parry, Renew Manager at SUEZ, said: “We’re delighted to be able to share our commercial waste expertise in this area and provide a Reuse Pop Up shop for the university. Freshers Week is the perfect opportunity to be able to show students that sustainable living doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.” “It’s encouraging to see so many students embracing reuse at the start of their university journey.”
The Sustainability Café has undergone an exciting transformation over the summer, with a range of improvements designed to enhance both the space and the visitor experience. The refurbishment, delivered by the Estates and Hospitality & Retail teams, includes new flooring with improved acoustic performance, creating a quieter and more comfortable environment for customers. The café has also been reconfigured with a more open and flexible layout, and additional power points, complemented by stylish new indoor and outdoor furniture.
Sustainability was a key consideration throughout the project. The new furniture features upholstery made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials, alongside FSC-certified timber sourced from responsibly managed forests. These choices reflect the universities’ continued commitment to sustainability and environmentally responsible procurement.
Visitors can also make the most of a new table service experience. Simply take a seat, make a note of your table number, place your order at the till, and the café team will bring your food and drinks directly to you. It’s the perfect way to relax and enjoy the stunning views across the Penryn Campus while you wait.
A Fresh New Lunch Menu
Alongside its refreshed surroundings, the café has introduced a selection of new lunchtime dishes, freshly prepared in-house.
As well as the popular range of bagels, toasties and homemade cakes, customers can now enjoy:
Vegan Ramen – £5.50 A weekly rotating broth served with glass noodles and seasonal vegetables. Each week, one of the following flavours will be available:
Classic Miso
Thai Coconut
Japanese Curry
Vegan Salad Bowl – £5.50 A fresh, seasonal salad that changes each week. Check the menu board to discover this week’s special.
A Fresh New Identity
With so many exciting changes taking place, it was the ideal time to give the café’s branding a refresh too. Brogan Dorgan, Multi-Site Team Manager, has overseen the café’s new identity, including updated uniforms, a redesigned menu and a fresh new look throughout the space. “It’s the perfect place to stop for a catch-up with friends, grab a coffee between lectures or meet with colleagues,” says Brogan. “Our amazing barista, Hollie Davis, designed our new logo, which now features on our loyalty cards and team uniforms.”
The café’s new uniforms have been supplied by Exhibit 1 Clothing in Hayle and are made from 100% organic cotton, complementing the Sustainability Café’s values and commitment to responsible sourcing.
Come and Visit
The Sustainability Café is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
Bring along your friends, housemates or colleagues to explore the refreshed space, try the new menu and share your feedback with the Hospitality & Retail Team.
This May, Penryn Campus is celebrating No Mow May – a national campaign encouraging people to reduce mowing and create more space for nature to thrive.
By allowing lawns to grow naturally, wildflowers and native grasses are given time to grow. These plants provide essential food and shelter for pollinators and insects, which in turn support wider wildlife including birds, bats, hedgehogs and more!
Across the UK, pollinator populations are under increasing pressure due to habitat loss, climate change and intensive land management. Initiatives like No Mow May help create valuable habitats and wildlife corridors in both urban and rural environments.
What are we doing at Penryn Campus?
The FX Plus grounds team works hard to support biodiversity throughout the year. Large areas of grassland across campus are intentionally left uncut from spring through to late summer, allowing plants time to flower, seed and support local wildlife.
Grounds teams and sustainability staff are also supporting biodiversity by:
Maintaining over five acres of wild grassy areas that are cut only once or twice a year after flowering and seeding has finished
Creating and caring for wildflower areas across campus, including around the Lime Avenue and veteran oak trees
Managing pathways and clearings through meadow areas so that people can continue to enjoy and access these spaces
Clearing sprawling brambles to make way for wildflowers and native planting
Sowing wildflower seeds and planting new shoots to encourage greater species diversity
Tracking hedgehogs to understand which areas of campus are supporting healthy ecosystems
The universities are also investing in new equipment to support sustainable grounds management. A new ride-on mower, funded by the University of Exeter and FX Plus, will help grounds teams collect and manage grass cuttings more efficiently.
“It’s going to be great, I think it will really scale up and improve our management of the wild grassy areas on campus and hopefully lead to more diversity and abundance of wildflowers in the future” said Alasdair Garnett, Gardener at FX Plus.
How can students and staff get involved?
There are lots of simple ways to support nature during No Mow May:
Leave parts of your lawn or garden uncut and observe what species appear
Grow native, pollinator-friendly plants in pots or gardens – English lavender is a great option for small spaces and attracts bees
Share photos of wildlife spotted around campus
Stick to pathways around rewilded areas to help protect emerging plants and habitats
Tree planting sessions have officially begun at Penryn Campus! Last week (25 Feb), the FX Plus Grounds and Gardens team supported a brilliant group of student, staff and community volunteers who helped transform a patch of brambles into the beginnings of a new fruit‑tree orchard.
This small corner of campus, located beside the boardwalk between Old Lane and the Studytel building, will grow into a welcoming space for both people and wildlife to enjoy. And it’s thanks to the enthusiasm of our campus community that the project is already taking shape!
These sessions form part of a wider series of sustainability events taking place on the Penryn campus from now until May 2026. The programme focuses on increasing tree and wildflower planting and improving habitat maintenance to support biodiversity.
The Penryn campus Sustainability events are expected to take place weekly or bi‑weekly on Wednesday afternoons, depending on the weather and availability of resources. All staff, students and members of the public are welcome to join in. The events are organised by Maisie Williams, our new Sustainability Intern, a Conservation Biology and Ecology Undergraduate from the University of Exeter.
If you’d like to get involved and don’t mind getting your hands a little muddy, the next tree planting session is Wednesday 4 March, 2–4pm. Meeting point: Outside the Penryn Campus shop (What3Words: ///kept.vitals.dispenser). Tools will be provided. Please wear sturdy boots, gloves and old or waterproof clothing.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined the first session! Let’s keep growing something special together.
The Eco-Block Pilot Project at Glasney Village completed in September 2025, marking an important milestone in efforts to reduce carbon emissions on campus. This innovative project aims to test the use of air source heat pumps as an alternative to gas heating, and for the past few months, Glasney Parc Block A—a residence containing four flats—has been fully heated and supplied with hot water using this technology. The block is now completely disconnected from mains gas.
Fergus Chan, Carbon and Energy Manager at FX Plus, described the project as a significant achievement:
“The Eco-Block Pilot Project is really exciting because it is the first project of its kind implemented on this campus. Over the next year, we’ll monitor performance and assess whether this approach can be expanded across our other residences in Glasney Village, as part of a district heating system.
“It’s provided the opportunity to learn more about emerging green technologies that could support us in making real progress toward the universities’ net-zero targets of the future”.
Other green technologies such as Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels and a Building Management System with Automatic Monitoring and Targeting have also been incorporated to generate energy and improve the energy efficiency of the accommodation block.
“Although the installed PV panels do not cover the building’s entire electricity consumption, they do reduce the portion of energy drawn from the national grid,” explains Fergus.
The Building Management System which controls the air source heat pumps, by telling them when to turn on and off, has been successfully operating for just a couple of months now. It will take at least one years’ worth of monitoring and gathering data throughout the seasons, to be able to assess the technology in different temperatures, to get the full picture of the viability of a district heating system using air source heat pumps throughout Glasney Village.
The Eco-Block Pilot project has been supported by the Salix Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, an initiative funded by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, which provides grants to public sector organisations to implement energy saving and carbon reducing technologies in their buildings. This initial phase (Glasney Parc Block A) was awarded a £55k grant towards the £114k total project cost.
Glasney Village, a significant carbon emitter, is the focus of a wider Decarbonisation on Campus project, with specific funding allocated by the University of Exeter and Falmouth University to fund projects to reduce carbon on their shared campus at Penryn.
In the future, following the outcome of the Eco-Block Pilot project, it is hoped that more air source heat pumps could be installed and connected across numerous residence blocks at Glasney Village, to realise the efficiencies and carbon savings associated with a district heating system and to move away from using natural gas to heat student residences entirely.
For more information about this project or if you have any questions about sustainability on campus, please contact the Sustainability team on sustainability@fxplus.ac.uk.
The University of Exeter, Falmouth University, FX Plus and the Students’ Union have recently established a Liftshare community to support Cornwall based car sharing.
Did you know? Single occupancy car journeys are one of the worst emission offenders depending on the type of vehicle that you drive. It accounts for an estimated 18 million tonnes of CO2e emissions per year (approximately 25% of all UK transport emissions).
Car sharing is a practical way to reduce your individual carbon footprint while getting around, as well as helping the universities and the UK who are working toward achieving net-zero emissions targets.
There are many other personal benefits to car sharing, such as reducing your travel costs (fuel and parking charges) by splitting these between the driver and passenger(s). Social benefits can include the potential to meet new people in your area. Car sharing can also reduce traffic and parking congestion within the local community.
The ‘Penryn Campus’ community is available for all staff and students to join via the Liftshare app. The app offers a safe and secure platform to help drivers and passengers find car sharing companions for the journeys they regularly take.
Despite the name, the Penryn Campus community covers all our Cornwall campuses — Penryn, Falmouth and Truro — and other journeys too.
The success of the Liftsharing-app relies on the number of staff and students who join the community. The larger the community, the greater the chances of drivers and passengers finding a match for their car share journey.
For those who are successful in finding a car sharing companion, you are able to ‘authenticate’ your journey each time in the app. It is really important to do this as it allows the Sustainability Team to see how many people are using the car sharing app and what kind of journeys they are making. This may help inform future functionality and benefits of the scheme.
Liftshare is a UK independent app run by Mobilityways and is not owned or managed by the universities or FX Plus. Using Liftshare is optional, voluntary and at the individual’s own risk.
Falmouth Exeter Plus Archives & Special Collections has been featured in The National Archives’ A Year in Archives 2025! This annual publication showcases inspiring stories from archives across the UK, and our team’s work was chosen as an Enrichment Case Study for 2025.
The case study showcases the creative ways the Nick Darke Archive was revitalised during Falmouth University’s Life, Work, Legacy event, commemorating 20 years since the playwright’s passing.
Carole Green, Archivist and Special Collections Officer, summed up the spirit of the work:
“After fulfilling their original purpose, records may appear to pause in the archive – suspended between past and future. Yet their continued use in fresh and innovative ways breathes new life into them, enriching our understanding of the life and work of Nick Darke and allowing his legacy to inspire generations to come.”
Students, staff, and visitors gathered at two vibrant Sustainability Fairs hosted by FX Plus Head of Sustainability, Oliver Milliner, and Marketing & Engagement Manager, Jennie Hosken, in partnership with the Students’ Union. Held at Penryn Campus (Upper Stannary) on Wednesday, 19 March, and at Falmouth Campus (Fox Café) on Thursday, 20 March, both events ran from 12 PM to 3 PM, attracting over 200 attendees over the two days, eager to explore sustainable ideas, practices, and connect with local changemakers.
Each fair featured a diverse mix of local eco-conscious businesses, grassroots organisations, SU societies, and talented student crafters, creating a dynamic marketplace that celebrated sustainable living and environmental innovation.
The atmosphere was one of enthusiasm and collaboration. “Just wanted to send a quick thank you and well done for the first day of the Sustainability Fair,” said Students’ Union Vice President, Marketa Carruthers. “I think the stalls were overall really positively engaged with.”
A standout highlight of the events was the giveaway of 200 bags of fresh, locally sourced vegetables—generously sponsored by the FX Plus Sustainability Team and organised by SU society Penryn Produce. Attendees could select three types of vegetables or a mixed-leaf salad, promoting low-waste, healthy living.
Local suppliers such as Trewithen Dairy and Jolly’s Drinks offered free samples and insights into their sustainable practices, while attendees engaged with a wide range of organisations, including:
FX Plus Sustainability Team – Engaged students in the Travel Survey and shared updates on campus sustainability initiatives.
Food & Drink Team – Distributed pre-loved, plant-based cookbooks and gathered feedback on campus catering and the Meat-Free Mondays trial.
Sustrans – Provided advice on walking, cycling, and public transport, distributed free bus tickets, and promoted discounted youth travel in collaboration with Cornwall Council.
Wave Rewild Yoga – Introduced eco-anxiety embodiment workshops to support emotional wellbeing and sustainable lifestyle choices.
99p Films – Highlighted upcoming social cinema events, including Hvaldimir and The Forgotten Temperate Rainforest.
RJ Working – Shared their work in youth-led climate advocacy and offered information about internships and creative projects.
Fal Bookbinding Society – Promoted traditional bookbinding techniques using donated materials and encouraged participation in sustainability-focused workshops, including papermaking.
Penryn Press – Showcased student-published materials for sale, produced locally and sustainably in partnership with local printers and Falmouth’s Rubicund Bookshop.
Reflecting on the events, Jennie Hosken said: “Thank you to all the incredible, energetic, and passionate stallholders who participated in our Sustainability Fairs and helped make them such a success. There was a real buzz at both events, which was very inspiring. We were thrilled to help students, staff, and visitors form meaningful connections with local sustainable initiatives and organisations. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to future events.”
From free ginger beer and plant-based cookbooks to rainforest aromas and sustainable transport advice, the Sustainability Fairs offered a lively and inspiring platform for learning, collaboration, and collective action toward a greener future.
New national bus fares have now been set following the expiry of government subsidies. This means many day-to-day tickets have become more expensive; however, this news post outlines the deals and bundles that are available for your commute to-and-from campus and across Cornwall. *
Two mobile apps exist whereby bus deals and bundles can be purchased via First Kernow or Transport for Cornwall. You can also purchase the standard daily rate tickets via the tap-on-tap-off system on buses.
Before purchasing any deals and bundles, it is worth considering your commuting frequency and format throughout the year. There are different bundles available that range from weekly to annual bundles.
* All the deals and bundles featured in this article were available at the time of writing it, in March 2025, but may be subject to change. Please ensure you do your own research prior to making any purchase.
The standard tap-on-tap-off rates are below if you are travelling within the Falmouth/Penryn zone. More information on the new standard rates if you are travelling Cornwall wide (including non-students and staff).
These deals can only be purchased by using your university (student and staff) email address. To purchase a bundle, first download the app and register for an account using your university email address, and authenticate it as instructed.
Once you’re registered and are signed-in, you can locate the Falmouth/Penryn Zone bundles using the same instructions as those detailed in the First Bus: Penryn and Falmouth Spring Term Bundle Deal article relating to purchasing the Unlimited Travel Penryn/Falmouth Term Time Bundle.
Penryn & Falmouth Term Student & Staff Bundle (£110)
If you are travelling frequently within the Falmouth/Penryn zone, this deal gives you unlimited travel for three months. Ensure you purchase this bundle as soon as it is issued to gain the full value of the money before expiry. Ensure you sign up and verify this bundle using your student or staff university email address. You can travel with this bundle on all First buses. For more information, view this deal on the First Bus app.
If you are travelling frequently within the Falmouth/Penryn zone, this deal gives you unlimited travel from September to July. Ensure you purchase this bundle as soon as it is issued in September to gain the full value of the money before expiry. Ensure you sign up and verify this bundle using your student or staff university email address. You can travel with this bundle on all First buses. For more information, view this deal on the First Bus app.
Cornwall Travel Commuter Club (CCTC) (£100 – was £65)
Signing up to the Cornwall Travel Commuter Club gives you access to purchase the Falmouth and Kernow network deals (more information on these bundles below).
Penryn Campus – Falmouth Zone (deals vary)
You can purchase 5-day, 20-day, weekly or monthly bundles using your student or staff university email address. This deal can be used on any First bus service. Ensure you sign up to the Cornwall Travel Commuter Club prior to purchasing any of these bundles. For any more information, visit the First Bus app or contact their customer service team.
You can purchase 5-day, 10-day, 20-day, weekly or monthly bundles using your student or staff university email address. This deal can be used on any First bus service. Ensure you sign up to the Cornwall Travel Commuter Club prior to purchasing any of these bundles. For any more information, visit the First Bus app or contact their customer service team.
Unlimited one day travel on buses across Cornwall: £5
Unlimited 7 day travel on buses across Cornwall: £20
Adult bundles:
Adult bus bundles are available on the app based on the standard rates, however you may find bundles available via the Frist Bus app better value for money.
In recognition of University Mental Health Day, we are launching our rebranded and refreshed ‘Wellbeing Collection’ at Penryn and Falmouth Campus libraries.
Previously known as the ‘Bibliotherapy Collection’, our library team have consulted with students, the Student Union, and the Wellbeing Team to put together a curated selection of resources to enhance health and wellbeing.
Topics in this collection include:
Neurodiversity, Disability & Chronic Illness
Mental Health Conditions (including Depression and Anxiety)
Nature Therapy and Crafting for Wellbeing
Mindfulness, Meditation and Healthy Sleep
Addiction, Alcoholism & Eating Disorders
Living Well (including Life Skills, Grief, Relationships, and the Menopause)
You can find the Penryn Wellbeing Collection on Level 1, near the Student Helpdesk, and our Falmouth Library Wellbeing Collection next to the Illustrated Book Collection.
Check out our full collection through the Resource List, where you can also request items to be collected from either campus library: https://tinyurl.com/ynzvnbdn
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