Waste sorting: how UzhNU successfully implements environmental initiatives
Uzhhorod National University is actively implementing the best practices related to environmental protection, prevention of environmental pollution, and environmental education of students and staff.
At the initiative of the Centre for Innovation and Development, a number of successful environmental initiatives have already been implemented at UzhNU this year, including waste sorting in the university buildings.
In June, Uzhhorod National University and the NGO Proektna 3 Recycling Station signed a memorandum of cooperation, and its chairman Ruslan Schwartz provided containers for waste sorting. At the same time, the main areas and tasks of interaction, coordination and cooperation were defined: "This cooperation is really important for us, as it involves many specific steps, including the collection and sorting of paper, glass and plastic. And this is not only of practical importance to us, as people who live in this region and want to see it clean, but also spiritual - we are educating the younger generation, which must learn to realise the value of improving the ecological state of the planet," said Volodymyr Smolanka, Rector of UzhNU.
At the same time, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work Myroslava Lendiel emphasises the following: "In February 2023, the university adopted a policy of sustainability and sustainable development, according to which our university encourages the initiatives of teachers, staff, and students aimed at protecting the environment and introducing new technologies that meet the principles of sustainability. Waste sorting and recycling, collection of used batteries, organisation of educational campaigns are among them."
The university has also signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Green Varosh NGO and has already implemented a number of joint, including educational, activities. Anna Sabadosh, the head of Green Varosh, said: "One of the most important environmental problems in Ukraine during the war is pollution, namely of air, water and soil. The constant shelling of settlements and specialised equipment has resulted in the release of large amounts of toxic substances into the environment. It is more important than ever for us to preserve what we have now. It is significant for me, as an environmentalist and the head of the Green Varosh NGO, to unite and cooperate with Uzhhorod National University to raise environmental awareness among young people and students."
Among the first steps taken by UzhNU was the placement of sorting containers near four buildings of Uzhhorod National University. Importantly, the university conducts active outreach, primarily to students, to help them become eco-conscious.
"In recent years, humanity has begun to take care of the environment. Waste sorting is one of the main ways to preserve the environment. Increasingly, universities have started to join such initiatives. Uzhhorod National University is no exception, and is an ideal platform for introducing eco-education.
After signing memorandums with the Proektna 3 recycling station and the NGO Zelenyi Varosh, we installed 3 large plastic external containers and 11 cardboard internal containers for collecting glass, plastic and paper on the territory of university buildings. We also actively conduct an information campaign among students and teachers. I would like to note that the containers are successfully filled and taken out for recycling on a weekly basis. This shows that the awareness of students and staff and their eco-culture is growing. I believe that we should learn from foreign experience and provide opportunities for sorting. For example, Switzerland recycles almost 100 per cent of its own waste. That is why it is considered the cleanest country in the world. We are trying to start at least with the minimum to form eco-awareness in our students and teach them to be eco-cultural. And we're doing a great job!" says Alyona Almashii, the initiator of the eco-cultural programme and director of the Centre for Innovation and Development at UzhNU.
Currently, the Centre for Innovation and Development of UzhNU in cooperation with the NGO "Green Varosh" continues to conduct an awareness campaign for Uzhhorod residents, and has already held 8 lectures on waste sorting, where employees and students learn why it is important to sort waste and how to do it correctly.
In September, Uzhhorod National University, together with the NGO Green Varosh and the UzhNU student trade union, organised an eco-picnic in the UzhNU Botanical Garden. More than 40 UzhNU students joined the event, not only cleaning the territory but also sorting the garbage, which was then taken to the Proektna 3 recycling station in a centralised manner.
The university also cooperated with the Battery, Give Up organisation to install containers for collecting batteries in three buildings (the Academic Building on BAM, the Rectorate at 3 Narodna Square and 46 Pidhirna Street). All the collected batteries will be sent for recycling, as this is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to recycle them.
The problems of ecology and environmental protection should be known and studied in order to keep our planet clean. The Centre for Innovation and Development of UzhNU emphasises that environmental education is a basic component of the education strategy in Europe, and it should be the same in Ukraine, and then we will really notice a positive and caring attitude of people towards the environment.
