SUSTAINABILITY

We are determined to achieve the highest standards of environmental performance in our operations at the Ashmolean Museum, across all areas of sustainability.

 

What have we done?

These are the sustainability measures we have concentrated on so far:

  • The Museum building – We have replaced our lighting with LED to reduce electricity use and removed gas dehumidifiers to reduce our gas usage.
  • Materials we use – We have turned off automatic printing of receipts where possible. We have also replaced paper towels with electric hand dryers. Across the museums in Oxford, we have a recycling scheme for nitrile gloves.
  • What we sell – The books and catalogues we publish use sustainable materials, for example FSC accredited papers, and are all printed in the UK or Europe. For our shop, we assess products to understand their environmental impact, for example reviewing where they were manufactured, and if they can be reused or recycled.
  • Food and drink – We use Rainforest Alliance certified coffee, MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) approved fish and UK Red Tractor meat, sourcing locally and seasonally where possible.
  • Suppliers – We've surveyed our top suppliers to understand their carbon positions.
  • Hiring our venues – We’re accredited with the Sustainable Wedding Alliance and our team can help you plan a low carbon event. Find out more about our venue hire sustainability
  • Staff – We have run sessions with the Carbon Literacy Project to build colleague awareness of actions everyone can take. We have an environmental sustainability network open to all colleagues to share experiences and ideas on how to take action.
  • Memberships – We have made digital membership cards available, so members can opt out of a printed card.
  • Tracking our carbon emissions – We measure our carbon footprint annually and have set targets in line with the University’s carbon net zero goals.

 Seeding sustainable approaches for the In Bloom exhibition

The Ashmolean is committed to reducing the environmental impact of exhibitions.

While we have been recently improving our approaches, In Bloom is the first exhibition to consider sustainability from conception to delivery. 92 per cent of the works come from the South-East of England, with 60 per cent from the Ashmolean or other University collections, lowering the carbon footprint from object transportation. 

In collaboration with DaeWha Kang Design, we reused 87.5 per cent of showcases and adapted build from the previous exhibition.  New architectural elements are made of the lightest possible construction:

  • New fabric partitions use 30m2 of fabric and 350kg of timber framing, compared to approximately 650kg if this would be built as plasterboard walls.
  • Environmental effects were achieved by 'painting with light' rather than using large-scale vinyl, using gobo projections and 150sqm max of hanging fabric, weighing approximately 8 kg 

As well as using fabric and lighting effects instead of heavy build, non-toxic materials were chosen and sourced within the UK wherever possible including recycled vinyl, paper-based text panels, and eco-friendly paint. The designers have also created a 3D digital catalogue of all Ashmolean cases and plinths, so future reuse can be prioritised.

This approach is continued in our shop, café and restaurant where we prioritise sustainable suppliers, reduce waste and explore low impact products. Seed packets and acorn vases to grow oak trees are examples of products chosen to focus on looking ahead to the future.

We still have much to improve and are constantly reviewing and assessing our impact, researching and experimenting with new solutions and materials.

In Bloom: How Plants Changed our World opens on 19 Mar and runs until 16 Aug 2026

What are we working on?

We are creating Working Groups to help embed environmental sustainability into our daily activities and programming. These groups are initially focussing on:

  • Reducing energy usage by trialling the use of seals to improve window insulation and putting solar panels on the Museum's roof.
  • Increasing our recycling rates by improving access to recycling stations.
  • Continuing to assess our suppliers and create a sustainable procurement plan.
  • Continuing to build our product matrix to understand where products are manufactured whether they can be reused or recycled.
  • Running internal campaigns to promote low carbon commuting methods and raising awareness of the actions we can all take to reduce our environmental footprint.
  • Exploring how to reduce the impact of objects travelling for exhibitions and our options for recycling and reusing display materials.
  • Providing digital tickets for all our exhibitions and events.
  • Developing approaches to raise awareness among our audiences on how to utilise low carbon travel.

What are we aiming to achieve?

The Ashmolean has set ambitious carbon reduction targets in line with the University’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy

We are also working on how to assess our biodiversity impact and set similar targets.

 

If you have any questions or thoughts on the Ashmolean's environmental sustainability programme, please contact our Sustainability Manager at jon.ray@glam.ox.ac.uk

 

OXFORD UNIVERSITY'S ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY TARGETS