Baseline sustainability measurement
Sustainability forms the core mission of the University and Anant Centre for Sustainability furthers this mission through various research projects. It has conducted an in-depth sustainability measurement across 10 parameters – energy, waste, water, employee diversity, equal pay for equal work, faculty research interest, student diversity, nutrition on campus, marketing carbon footprint, governance – for the academic year, 2017 – 2018. The analysis led to several promising measures and targets were set for improvements.
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The AnantU community is encouraged to use sustainable alternative materials to eradicate plastics. This community sensitisation initiative has been focused on bringing plastic-free products on-campus after thorough examination by the researchers. The use of eco-friendly materials includes:
The sustainable menstrual products like cloth pads and menstrual cups are being sold at the university stationery store and at the Centre for Sustainability. It is promoted to the students and staff to encourage their transition towards sustainable menstrual products, which is a part of the ‘Period power’ initiative. A volunteer group of 12 members comprising of students and staff are in regular contact to promote sustainable menstrual products on campus
The studio waste bins are made of eco-boards, which are made out of agricultural waste
Eco-friendly products (Notebooks made with recycled paper, desk organizers made out of recycled plastic, envelopes are made out of recycled paper, jute paper folder) are displayed at the Centre to encourage others towards using them.
Recycled and environment friendly paper are used for all campaign poster printouts.
Copper bottles and copper glasses are used for events and meetings – to eradicate the plastic water bottle consumption
Plastic-free toiletries – stainless steel handwash and paper napkin dispenser installed in all campus restrooms
Waste management at AnantU begins with segregation of dry and wet waste. The segregated waste is recycled either within the campus or through recycling firms, NEPRA Resource Management for dry waste and Karo Sambhav for e-waste. Construction waste generated on-campus is accumulated and transported to Ahmedabad Enviro Project which is converted to building materials. The food waste generated on-campus is composted in-house using a food compost bin. We have also signed an MoU agreement with Saltech Design Labs, which will enable us to convert waste plastic from AnantU campus into road paver blocks, floor tiles, and other reusable objects. The segregation infrastructure includes on-campus facilities, which is made of plastic-free materials:
The Centre for Sustainability is actively involved in leveraging the learnings to benefit other institutions on becoming a truly sustainable campus. Centre’s lead circular economy researchers and officials from Army base workshop at Agra have vigorously worked towards recycling, managing and ensuring safe disposal of waste at the cantonment. The Centre has conducted intensive field research and suggested a solution-oriented roadmap to categorize, segregate, and manage on-campus waste effectively. The guidelines also involve behaviour change initiatives and successful Army cantonment case studies to educate and prepare the personnel.
We cannot change the global trade and consumption of junk food which has large quantities of saturated fats, sugars, preservatives and salts, but we can educate and provide nutritional choices for the community. The Centre, faculty members and students are actively working towards improving the canteen menu and raising awareness about the nutritious food on campus. A survey conducted on the nutritional value shows the per day consumption of students of which carbohydrates are served 60.4%; Fats are 22.7% and Proteins are 16.9%. We are on a mission to increase the protein intake of the students on-campus.
The Centre for Sustainability is dedicated to introducing research and community participation in the academic curriculum, which will inculcate the students on becoming truly solutionaries. The masters’ students of Sciences Po Paris and Anant National University worked together on making AnantU campus a single-use plastic free for the academic year 2019-2020. The Capstone project comprises students with a diverse academic background of environmental policy, economic studies, international affairs, humanitarian studies and integrated product designers collaboratively working together on change management strategies, sustainable alternative materials, reutilization of plastic waste and relevant policy implications. In the semester-long research project, the students explored several waste management strategies, conducted field visits to waste recycling plants and understood the magnitude of waste dumping-sites. They have monitored on-campus plastic presence and formulated a strategic and implementable road-map to make the campus plastic free. The students have also worked on various change management strategies to sensitize the AnantU community.