SLEMAN - The commitment of UPN “Veteran” Yogyakarta (UPNVY)as a sustainable green campus stipulated in the Chancellor's Decree No. 11 of 2017 continuely is echoed and implemented.

This is reflected in UPNVY's commitment in reducing plastic waste in the campus environment. The Environmental Engineering Study Program is one of the study programs that consistently carries out reduction and handling of plastic waste.

"We have already begun replacing snack boxes with lunch boxes, bottled mineral water with tumblers at each activity, both in meetings and during field studies", said the Head of the Department of Environmental Engineering, Dr. Andi Sungkowo

Andi admitted that changing the habit of using plastic packaging is not easy, for that reason, his party consistently conducts socialization.

"We make posters of sorting trash and posted them in the places where many people can read them", he said.

His party, said Andi, prepared the garbage cans and divided them into three types, namely compostable, decent-selling, and disposable waste.

The academic community members are obliged to dispose the waste and sort them according to type.

"We also provide training for the cleaning staffs to not mix the sorted waste. This commercially viable garbage can add the cleaning staffs’ income", he said.

The commitment to reduce plastic waste in the Environmental Engineering Study Program, Andi said, was the result of the supplementation of institutional grants led by him and his lecturer, Ika W Wididarti, S.Si, M.Eng.

Previously, the commitment to reduce plastic waste has also been echoed at the Week of Introduction to the Defense of the National Defense Campus (PKKBN) which took place on 12-17 August 2019. At the orientation event, 3000 new students and 500 committee members were required to bring a tumbler.

"The committee has prepared refill drinking water for students and the committee. This is our joint commitment”, said M. Irhas Effendi, the Chancellor of UPNVY.

This year, said Irhas, has been the first time for UPNVY to require new students to bring a tumbler as a form of commitment to reduce plastic waste.

The result, according to Irhas, was that plastic waste, especially mineral water packaging can be reduced. He hopes that this commitment will continue to be carried out by academicians. (wwj / PR)