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Waste management & materials
A sustainable resource management concept spans from procurement, e.g. purchasing reusable materials, all the way to the proper sorting of materials for recycling.
To offer better possibilities for sorting, planning began in 2018 for new collection points at the university and, where needed, new recycling modules. In addition, reducing the frequency of waste emptying in offices is aimed at reducing the number of liner bags that have to be changed each day, because in many cases they are hardly even used.
With the exception of hazardous goods, so far the University of Basel has not been collecting any detailed data on waste volume, recycling or percentages of different types of waste. The Facilities and Sustainability offices are currently developing a resource management concept that is based on the University of Basel’s sustainability mission statement and the principle of «prevent, minimize, recycle».
Hazardous waste
Hazardous waste is mainly generated in the natural sciences, such as in research, but also during student’s lab exercises. Compared to the last four years, the increase in halogenated versus halogen-free solvent waste is striking.
Hazardous waste is disposed of by certified disposal companies. The hazardous materials safety advisors are responsible for complying with legal guidelines as well as documenting the waste categories. A hazardous materials platform offering guidelines and resources as well as an e-learning course has been set up to educate staff and students.
Waste prevention in catering
Several measures were implemented in the university’s cafeterias and cafés in 2018 to reduce single-use packaging and waste: Reusable dishes from reCIRCLE are available at all locations; hot drinks served in customer’s own cups are sold at a discount; drinking straws have been completely banned, and plastic stirrers have been replaced with wooden ones.
Procurement
Procurement at the University of Basel involves a multitude of products and services, including day-to-day consumables, laboratory supplies, highly specialized custom-built research instruments, as well as services, such as the cleaning of buildings. The University of Basel does not currently have a central procurement organization or any detailed data collection system.
The restructuring of the procurement organization was started in 2018. Major contracts are to be better coordinated, such as to combine purchase volumes of certain products and perhaps achieve better purchasing terms as a result.
To optimize procurement even more in the future in order to better conserve natural resources and ensure compliance with social standards, sustainability is currently being integrated into the general principles of procurement, and a code of conduct is being prepared for suppliers.
Services & further information
- Event guide: The guide for sustainable university events provides practical tips and recommendations on how to organize low-waste events.
- Reusable cup lending: For larger events at the university, up to 1,750 reusable cups in the university’s design (3 dl plastic, mint-colored) can be borrowed by contacting SV. The environmental impact of the reusable cups is five times less than that of disposable cups.
- On the Sustainability Office webpage you can find the brochure «Sustainability: Tips for Everyday Life» and the fact sheets «Fair and responsible use of resources» and «Print wisely».
