initiatives of the children are summarized in the Association of “green” universities, which includes hundreds of teams – how capital “bisons” like MGIMO and the HSE and educational institutions from small towns. The result of this work was the book “the New reality. Successful environmental practice in Russian universities and a guide to action”. You can download it from the Internet to get some ideas for your own endeavors. One-time actions to collect waste paper or cleaning areas of debris are held in each University and College. But a few manage to move to a system of measures that allows to reduce the costs and reduce the negative impact on nature in the scope of their educational institutions.
However, most student ideas apply to the operation of enterprises: separate collection of waste and their transfer for processing, the rejection of disposable tableware, recycling old things, and even “greening” menu in the cafeterias. Along with projects that require substantial investments (e.g., translation of official vehicles for gas), and possible targeted changes. For example, touch faucets for sinks help reduce water consumption. And the young people from St. Petersburg have declared war on disposable cups and convinced the leadership of the University to change the tenant who was served by vending coffee machines. Old partner could not provide the equipment with the function of “in my mug”.
Volunteers from the Tambov technical University (TSTU) described in the book the activities of their club, bringing together 200 students from different faculties. Started in 2018, with the planting of spruce in honor of the 60th anniversary of the University. Then there were thematic lessons for pupils, bookcrossing and darmark (exchange of unnecessary things). In February of last year, the guys set in two main buildings TSTU containers for separate waste collection – this happened before mesh for plastic is a fixture in the streets of Tambov. Subsequently, the University appeared and containers for batteries.
the campaign of collecting waste paper were held twice a week – waste accepted at the Department of natural resources and environmental protection, to participate any citizen. For a month a couple of tons of recyclable materials. Income from its sale to invest in environmental projects. The students of TSTU and joined to the action “Kind caps” (plastic caps and rings from bottles sent to recycling, the money goes to charity).
“it took long negotiations about the introduction of separate waste collection with the University authorities, who did not see the point. Besides, the moment was replaced by a regional operator for the handling of MSW and temporarily suspended the recycling plant Komek. In January 2019, the situation has stabilized, the plant resumed work. We spent the holiday “Acadver” to attractunderstanding the practice of separate collection, the University administration made sure to introduce her to the money allocated for containers and sent volunteers to the lawyers to sign the contract with the carrier of recyclable materials, – told the authors of the project about the main difficulties faced. – Every event requires a large number of approvals and documents”.
Earlier similar book “How to make College a “green” Association noted the practice of Belgorod technological University named after V. Shukhov (BSTU), which also are containers for different waste types. The campaign to collect batteries, plastic and paper caught the attention of the administration. They felt that pre-sorting waste will allow to reduce the costs on garbage collection. Volunteers tested a model of separate collection in the campus, estimated the economic effect. Given scale experience under the supervision of the chief engineer of the University: the University has ordered additional boxes for the enclosures and containers for storage of waste, have contracts with collectors of recyclable materials. To reverse the psychology of the students and teachers took a series of lectures and propaganda raids on the hostels.
– the Main difficulty was to change the habit of people to throw everything into a single container. For the first time… in the bins for separate collection got nonassertiveness garbage and food waste, said the volunteers. – To solve this problem, near tanks put the duty officer administrative part, who helped to sort the waste and we were reminded of the purpose of containers.
In the end, the amount of MSW exported for disposal from the territory Shahovskogo University in 2019, was 40 percent less than in 2018. the Next step was the installation of special containers for “dog lover”, which are taught to clean up waste after their Pets.
Michael Yulkin, General Director of ANO “environmental investment Center”:
– Everyone needs to try to look for ways of reducing its impact on climate, not wait until the problem will solve someone else. We understand how much everything that surrounds us, in monetary units. But you need to know and how much it is “worth” in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.
Frugal handling of energy and materials allows not only to reduce carbon footprint, but also a more efficient use of the budget of the institution. For example, to consume less energy thanks to the installation of energy-saving lamps, to waste less fuel by adjusting the transport logistics or moving on bikes and scooters. You can start small: to teach employees “before leaving, extinguish the light.”
Contact
Free materials for environmental initsiativ collected on the website of the program “Green schools of Russia”: .
