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> News > Towards a Sustainable Future: USU Minimises Plastic Use Across Campus

Towards a Sustainable Future: USU Minimises Plastic Use Across Campus

Published At

22 October 2024

Published By

Threesna Sharfina

Universitas Sumatera Utara strengthens its leadership in sustainable campus management by eliminating single-use plastics and promoting a culture of reuse and responsibility.

Leading by Policy and Practice

Medan, Indonesia — Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) has taken concrete steps to reduce plastic waste and set a strong example of environmental stewardship in higher education. This commitment is guided by Rector’s Circular No. 1 of 2023 on Environmental Management and Commitment to a Green, Sustainable, and Carbon‑Neutral Campus by 2029 and Rector’s Regulation No. 3 of 2019 on the Implementation of the Green Campus Movement.

Together, these instruments embed waste minimisation and plastic reduction into academic and operational life across the university. Article 7 of the 2019 regulation explicitly bans the use of single‑use plastic bottles and plastic bags on campus and requires the use of refillable tumblers, reusable containers, tote bags, and other durable packaging in faculties, offices, catering services, and events.

USU also integrates plastic minimisation into its procurement policies. The university encourages the purchase of eco‑labelled products and prioritises recyclable, reusable, compostable, or recycled‑content materials for campus activities. These expectations are reflected in vendor guidelines and sustainability standards that suppliers are required to follow.

USU students prepare ecobricks from used plastic bottles as part of the university’s zero plastic initiative.

Educational campaigns, signage, and faculty circular letters reinforce these rules so that compliance becomes part of a wider culture of shared responsibility, rather than a purely administrative obligation.

From Policy to Action: Reducing Plastic at the Source

The USU Green Campus Team coordinates the implementation of plastic reduction strategies, working closely with the Integrated Waste Management Centre (TPST). At this facility, plastic waste is processed using pyrolysis technology developed in collaboration with Earthwise Consulting Japan and the Get Plastic Foundation. The system converts plastic into fuel oil, reducing the environmental burden of plastic waste and contributing to a campus‑scale circular economy.

Student involvement is central to this effort. The Zero Plastic.Wise organisation, led by Environmental Engineering students, helps manage plastic collection and sorting at the TPST and runs awareness campaigns that encourage the campus community to reduce, reuse, and properly recycle. Their work helps ensure that plastic bottles, cups, and packaging are diverted away from landfill and redirected into recovery streams.

USU’s Student Zero-Plastic Organizations Supported by the Environmental Engineering Study Program USU

Source: instagram.com/zeroplastic.wise

A Campus Moving Away from Single‑Use Plastics

The shift toward a low‑plastic campus is visible in daily routines.

  • Canteens and campus events no longer provide drinks in single‑use plastic bottles.
  • Meeting kits and official souvenirs now feature tote bags, stainless‑steel or reusable tumblers, and notebooks designed to replace disposable items.
  • At the Integrated Research Laboratory and several other facilities, staff and students are expected to bring their own tumblers and eco‑bags, reflecting how sustainable habits are becoming part of USU’s academic culture.

Digital transformation supports this change. Through the “Satu USU” platform, administrative processes such as attendance, academic records, and internal communication are handled electronically. This reduces the need for printed documents and plastic‑based stationery and complements efforts to cut both plastic and paper waste.

Aligning Procurement and Operations with Plastic Minimisation

Plastic reduction at USU is closely linked to ethical and sustainable procurement. The university’s purchasing policies call for:

  • avoiding single‑use plastics in goods and services procured for events, catering, and daily operations;
  • prioritising reusable items and compostable or recyclable packaging;
  • working with vendors that offer eco‑friendly products and can meet USU’s sustainability criteria.

As part of the university’s Zero Waste initiative, USU has set a goal to eliminate plastic waste from all operations and purchasing by 2030. This includes a gradual transition from disposable plastics to reusable and compostable options and ongoing engagement with suppliers to ensure that products and packaging comply with green procurement standards.

Measurable Impact
According to USU’s 2024 sustainability reporting, the university generates around 0.427 tons of inorganic waste per day, with plastic bottles and cups accounting for more than 40 percent of this stream.

Through a combination of pyrolysis, recycling partnerships, better product choices, and behaviour‑change campaigns, USU has managed to divert a significant share of these plastics away from landfill. Much of this material is now:

  • converted into fuel oil through pyrolysis,
  • channelled into recycling systems, or
  • avoided altogether through the use of reusable and low‑waste alternatives.

These results show that plastic minimisation is tracked, managed, and linked to clear performance indicators, rather than left to informal efforts.

Toward a Plastic‑Free Future
By combining robust policy, technological innovation, sustainable procurement, and community participation, Universitas Sumatera Utara’s plastic reduction programme goes beyond basic compliance. It reflects a broader cultural shift toward responsible consumption, directly supporting SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production and contributing to USU’s vision of a carbon‑neutral, zero‑waste campus by 2030.

As USU continues on this path, the minimisation of plastic use serves both as a symbol of its sustainability values and as a practical strategy for reducing environmental impact. It demonstrates that when policy is grounded in science and reinforced by everyday practice, universities can help reshape not only their campuses but also the wider communities they serve.

News SDGs 12

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