College goes green with marmite

A small, rather oddly shaped, van will soon become a familiar sight on the borough’s roads as RACC (Richmond Adult Community College) launches the latest phase in its ‘Go Green’ campaign.

The Mega Van – nicknamed Marmite by students and staff -  does 100 miles on just 80p’s worth of electricity and can be recharged from an ordinary 13amp socket. It has a top speed of 35mph, a range of 120 miles on a single charge and produces zero emissions.

The van will be used to ferry post and equipment between the College’s two centres at Parkshot, Richmond and Clifden Road, Twickenham, saving around £20,000 a year in courier and other costs.

The acquisition of ‘Marmite’ is part of RACC’s commitment to producing a greener environment by reducing the College’s carbon footprint.

Two Smart Cars and two bikes are already used for commuting between sites and all the College’s future vehicles will be electric. Significant CO2 savings are also being made by reducing emissions from heating and lighting and increasing recycling.

Explains Bill O’Neil, Head of Estates and Facilities: “Marmite is a major contribution in our drive to make RACC as environmentally friendly as possible.
We are exploring every avenue to ensure we constantly reduce our carbon emissions, which is not only good news for the environment, but also increases the funds available to further improve our facilities for both students and staff.”

Richmond Council Leader, Serge Lourie, praised the College for its commitment to greener travel.

“Steps like this will help the borough in its drive to cut the level of CO2 in the atmosphere and improve our air quality. I commend the College for its work so far and hope this will be an example to other organisations in Richmond Upon Thames.”