During the works, a lot of old equipment and materials were discovered, which have amassed over the 50 years the lab has been established.  

Lab technician, Rob Limpenny, and his colleague Andy Otter began to ask Wolfson staff if they could help find alternative uses for this equipment as they were committed to the Sustainability Charter of the School – Reuse, Recycle, Reduce, Rethink.

Rob held regular email auctions and many imaginative uses were found for the old equipment, including wind tunnel car bodies being repurposed as Christmas presents for children!

This initiative was an excellent way of avoiding materials ending up in landfill and they now have a new lease of life in other parts of the University and further afield.

Loughborough’s Sustainable and Circular Economy expert Professor Shanin Rahimifard said: “Reusing equipment or more specifically extending the ‘use life’ of a product is among the most environmentally beneficial end-of-life options for unwanted and no-longer in use products.

“This is a big step towards improving the sustainability of operations in Wolfson School and the items sourced from Rob’s lab have been used in both our teaching and research activities.”

More information on Loughborough’s commitment to sustainability can be found here.