Eco-Campus

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Pilot Eco-Campus project

Eco-Campus is a pilot project based on a “learning-by-doing” approach and developed inside the campuses of the five Universities involved. It foresees to:

Install recycling bins with different colors indicating the different types of wastes
Place posters showing why is important to separate waste and how to do it in the correct way
Deliver waste management awareness programs
Deliver programs targeting teaching and research to minimize generation of hazardous wastes

Overview

Vietnam
National Strategy on Solid Waste Management- waste management goal by 2025: collect, transport, and treat 100% of non-household waste and 85% of waste discharged by households in urban areas.
Main issues related to waste management:

Labour intensive and inefficient operations
High operational costs
Poorly located and inadequate landfills
Unsuitable operational practices
Low public awareness and insufficient access to formal waste collection and recycling systems
Waste not correctly disposed

Myanmar
National Waste Management Strategy and Master Plan (2018-2030): national policy framework for moving from a conventional to a sustainable waste management based on the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycling), with the aim of achieving the goal of zero waste, circular and sustainable society.
Main issues related to waste management:

Poor public cleanliness and insufficient waste collection
Limited public awareness of cleanliness
Lack of sufficient waste containers
Inadequate street cleaning
Insufficient funds for solid waste collection and disposal
Waste illegally dumped
Landfills almost at their full capacity, and not well-organized operation

The major consequences of the inadequate waste management in Vietnam and Myanmar are significant pollution, health hazards, and natural resource consumption, leading to negative impacts on the environment and human health.

Why Eco-Campus?

With respect to cities, the university-type administration benefits from:

Smaller scale and more structured administration
Autonomy of the governance structure
Less complex local politics

In this way, universities can become examples of sustainability and education of younger generations, by implementing an efficient solid waste action plan. Universities can therefore become beacons of positive sustainability action, by establishing green, resource efficient, and low carbon campuses.
Currently, Vietnam’s and Myanmar’s universities are not applying sustainability waste management procedures, therefore GREENUS pilot project represents the starting point from which local environmental issues can be addressed, applying an eco-friendly vision in an educational venue.

Benefits

Raising public awareness, changing public attitudes, and providing education on responsible waste management
Prevention and minimization of waste production
Maximize waste recycling and composting
Rising role of Vietnam and Myanmar universities' staff and students

Objectives and goals

1 Maximize resource recovery, minimizing the amount of waste disposed to landfills. Strategy? Apply the “waste hierarchy” – avoid purchasing products which will end up as waste, repair and reuse, then recycle, and only if there are no other options, dispose.

2 Apply the concept of sustainability in waste management. Strategy? Create new policies and develop initiatives in each Partner Country University.

3 Encourage and promote the contribution of universities to the overall sustainability of the planet.