A First at OzU: “We're Disposing of What We Consume” Hosted as a Carbon-Neutral Event!

Dear Members of the OzU Community,

As part of the Zero Waste Management System, established in alignment with the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and the Zero Waste Project initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, our recurring event “We're Disposing of What We Consume” Event!” took place on March 19, 2025, in celebration of Global Recycling Day (March 18) with the participation of our students.

For the first time, our event was hosted as a carbon-neutral event, as a testimony of our commitment to raising awareness of sustainability.  The carbon footprint generated throughout the event was calculated and offset with an additional margin (1 ton CO₂ equivalent). This offset was achieved with the support of Committed, by contributing to a renewable energy project to minimize our environmental impact.  The offsetting process was completed through Gold Standard-certified carbon credits, and the respective certificate is attached for your reference.

The primary goal of this event was to raise sustainability awareness. It was conducted as part of the SEC 101 course and the OzU Cares Volunteering Program, with active support from HSE Community.  The event was further supported by the Student Development and Experience Department at the Office of the Dean of Students, the Sustainability & QHSE Department, the Office for Learning and Teaching Enhancement (OLTE), and the Operations Unit.

The event also aimed to:

• To provide information about OzU’s waste management processes,
• To raise students’ awareness of recycling and foster sensitivity towards environmental pollution,
• To contribute to a clean and healthy environment by collaborating with cleaning staff to collect waste on campus,
• To enable students empathize with cleaning staff to understand the challenges of cleaning operations,
• To prioritize existing issues and find solutions in response to student feedback.

The event began with a 30-minute seminar providing participants with information on OzU’s waste management practices and recycling initiatives.  Following this session, students were divided into three groups and participated in collecting waste across the campus, accompanied by cleaning staff, HSE Community members, and OzU Cares volunteers. Organized for the fifth time, this initiative has successfully attracted around 600 students to date.

Kind Regards,