Recent sustainability improvements in the McClay Library are already having a significant environmental impact, following direct feedback from students through user experience (UX) activities.

As a result of student-led insight highlighting the need for better access to drinking water, new water refill stations have been installed on Floors 1 - 3 of the McClay Library. Since the start of the 2025/26 academic year, these water coolers have supported 55,328 bottle refills, helping to divert tens of thousands of single-use plastic bottles from landfill and recycling streams. In addition to reducing plastic waste, the initiative also cuts the carbon cost associated with the production and transportation of bottled water.

Further sustainability improvements have been introduced in the McClay Co-Lab space, again in response to student feedback. Reusable coffee mugs and washing-up facilities are now available, enabling students to avoid disposable cups and continue studying on campus without generating unnecessary waste.

These changes reflect the Library’s ongoing commitment to embedding sustainability into everyday student experience, and using evidence from UX research to make practical, high-impact improvements. By listening to how students actually use Library spaces, small interventions can deliver meaningful environmental benefits while supporting longer, more comfortable study on campus.