Go Green by Cycling to Work

At SERC we are becoming more and more environmentally conscious and are implementing and promoting ways that can help reduce our carbon footprint as a college and as individuals. One way we can do this is by lowering the car emissions we produce on a daily basis.

Car pollutants are harmful for the environment and are a major cause of global warming with a typical car emitting about 4.6 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year. It would take an acre of trees a whole year to absorb the CO2 produced by just two cars! 

So how can you help? Why not ditch the car and cycle to work?

By cycling 8 miles a day - rather than driving - the average commuter would save 0.5 tonnes of CO2, roughly 6% of their annual carbon footprint. This is great news for the environment!

But other than saving the earth - what are the other benefits of cycling to work? 

Save money:

You will be using less fuel on your commute to work and therefore wont be filling up as much. 

Cycle to work and you could save over £3,000 every year. Check out the numbers here!

The Cycle to Work Scheme also means you don't have to fork out the full cost of a bike.

South Eastern Regional College operates the Cycle to Work Scheme through Cyclescheme, whereby employees can sacrifice (give up) part of their salary and in return the College purchases a bicycle and/or safety equipment up to the value of £1000 and leases it to the employee over a 12 month period, tax free. 

Health Benefits:

In a five-year study of 263,450 UK commuters, published in BMJ, 2017, it was found that regular cycling cut the risk of death from any cause by 41%, and the incidence of cancer and heart disease by 45% and 46% respectively.

Cycling is known to burn up to 1000 calories an hour, depending on your body and intensity. So if weight loss is your new year goal, why not make the change?

Mental wellbeing is another benefit of cycling. It is claimed that cycling can reduce anxiety and stress, combat depression, increase self esteem and lead to increased productivity at work. 

Plus...

No more waiting in traffic! Avoid congestion on the roads and queuing into the carparks, cycle your way to work hassle free.  

Check out how Sustrans are Engaging Northern Ireland workers with active travel and find popular cycle routes across the country.

For more information on the Cycle to Work Scheme, visit the SharePoint. 

To find out what the College is getting up to with regards to Go Green or to sign up to the eco-committee on each campus, email GoGreen@serc.ac.uk