Your unique, sustainable interview cup

inspiring arts graduates and our sustainable campus
Your unique, sustainable interview cup

Credit: Graduate Laura Hole BA (Hons) Illustration

Congratulations on being invited to attend an interview in Plymouth. We hope you enjoyed the experience and had a great day with us. 

As part of your day you were given your own sustainable cup which we hope you will keep as a reminder of your day with us.

The design was produced by one of our BA (Hons) Illustration graduates. Laura talks about her cup design in this video. 

The student stories below show how our students use their inspiration and creativity to create amazing work of art. The disciplines may differ but each of our students showcased here have immersed themselves in their physical location to maximise their talents.

We hope you find these inspiring and that they help to give you an insight into what it’s like to study at Plymouth and the limitless possibilities that lay ahead of you.

Why use a sustainable cup?

  • @ 2.5 billion disposable cups thrown away per year
  • @ Average reusable cup used 3,000 times
  • @ 10.4kg of waster cups per person, per year
  • @ Hotter for longer
  • @ Only 1 in 400 disposable cups are recycled

Bethany Isaac - BA (Hons) 3D Design

Bethany studied BA (Hons) 3D Design graduating in 2017. Watch the video to find out about Bethany’s final project that was showcased at our annual art degree show HOT’17.

Beth’s work was inspired by her time spent walking on Dartmoor National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty located only a few miles from our campus.

She was one of her group who were inspired by the history and use materials found locally to incorporate in her ceramics.

Beth has made her work represent her journey as a designer maker translating her experiences into her work with clay.

All you need to know about BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design

Bethany Isaac

Laura Hole - BA (Hons) Illustration

Laura Hole chose Plymouth because she wanted to be near the sea, and valued the freedom to push boundaries and develop her own style. Today she’s a freelance and has a contract with an American publisher to produce a series of book covers.

Laura also provided the design used on your re-usable cup

All you need to know about BA (Hons) Illustration

Megan Wakelam - BA (Hons) Fine Art

Megan studied BA (Hons) Fine Art and graduated in 2017. The interview shows Megan at the final year degree show exhibiting her work. Find out about Megan’s work, her inspirations and what she hopes to do next.

"It's really interesting to see someone from outside, who doesn't know you, come in and see your work, and seeing their reaction."

All you need to know about BA (Hons) Fine Art

Megan Wakelam

Molly Aukett - BA (Hons) Graphic Communication with Typography

Molly studied BA (Hons) Graphic Communication with Typography and graduated in 2017. We talked to Molly about her course and time spent studying at Plymouth. Watch the video to find out more about her journey with Plymouth University.

All you need to know about BA (Hons) Graphic Design with Typography 

Molly Aukett

Nicholas Cade

Nicholas Cade - BA (Hons) Photography

Nicholas studied BA (Hons) Photography graduating in 2017. In the video Nicolas discusses his work for the HOT’17 Art and Design Degree Show. HOT ’17 is the highlight of the year for the faculty and the opportunity for our graduating student to show their work to the public. 

"Every Sunday morning for the last 26 years, dedicated enthusiasts have explored and preserved the closed workings of an old mine with an ongoing passion. Crawling 240 feet underground, their age fades and their imagination and wonder takes over, transporting them back to their youth. The pace is slow, and the work is dangerous, but their encouragement lies in the discovery of new tunnels, and unknown secrets from the past. The team strives to preserve the site for future generations, to learn about the mysteries lying underneath them."

All you need to know about BA (Hons) Photography

Sustainability: Designed to last 

We take sustainability seriously.

  • Accredited Fairtrade University since 2006
    From our Fairtrade Policy to the championing of Fairtrade products across the University, explore what makes us a Fairtrade University
  • Green travel
    To support of green travel we offer 318 bicycle parking spaces on campus - just one of the ways we're minimising the environmental impact from transport associated with the University.
  • The first Social Enterprise University
    Plymouth was the first university in the world to be awarded the Social Enterprise Mark in recognition of working as a genuine social enterprise, caring for communities and protecting the planet.

  • UPSU recognised for leading the way with positive action on environmental issues
    The National Union of Students (NUS) has awarded University of Plymouth’s Student Union (UPSU) Green Impact Excellence Outstanding award, the highest possible award for Green Impact.
  • Our Sustainable Earth Institute proactively promotes new ways of thinking about the future of our world. By bringing researchers together with businesses, community groups and individuals to develop cutting-edge research and innovative approaches that build resilience to global challenges. We link diverse research areas across the University including science, engineering, arts, humanities, health and business.

Sustainability

Your cup is made from 100 per cent recycled materials. We hope that for those who decide to study with us at Plymouth this will be a lasting reminder of your initial visit and the very beginning of your journey.

What are the real benefits of using your own sustainable cup?

  • If you buy just one cup of tea or coffee in a disposable cup every day, you’ll end up creating approximately 23lbs of waste in one year. Imagine the difference you can make using your own reusable cup every day. Carry your cup (2017)
  • In the UK, it’s estimated that 2.5 billion ‘paper’ coffee cups are thrown away every year. That’s almost 5000 a minute or 7 million per day. You can help cut this back. Mighty Nest (2017)

 

  • According to a study conducted by Starbucks and the Alliance for the Environmental Innovation each paper cup manufactured is responsible for 0.24lbs of CO2 emissions. Starbucks / Alliance for the Environmental Innovation (2016)
  • Just 1 in 400 disposable cups are recycled. A lot less than most people think.
  • A Styrofoam cup can never be completely recycled. Most Styrofoam disposed of today will still be in landfills 500 years from now. Mighty Nest (2017)