ZERO WASTE – Revolutionizing the way the waste is seen!
WHAT IS ZERO WASTE CAMPUS?
This initiative, according to Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, ensures ban of all single use items inside the campus. It does not mean waste is not generated or a plastic-free campus. Dry waste is segregated (wet, dry, reject, E-waste) at the source by dropping the waste in the right bin. Wet waste is composted in the campus or sent to piggeries. Reject and E-waste waste
DID YOU KNOW?
26,000 MT of plastic waste is produced/ day and single use plastic contributes to almost 40% of the total waste generated in India. At least 1,800 tonnes of waste/day from Bengaluru city was being dumped in Mandur landfill since 2008 which was halted in 2014 and now Bengaluru’s garbage is reaching Bellahalli landfill.
OUR ZERO WASTE JOURNEY…
As a part of Vedan’s efforts, A Volunteering activity was organized for painting the walls of Madiwala Market. One of the lecturers from Krupanidhi College volunteered who then joined Cambridge Institute of Technology (CIT) College. He recommended waste management initiative to the Chairman and CEO of CIT College who were committed to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They later approached Vedan for support in clearing off the blackspots around the college premises. It was then, the college realized the importance of “Practice what we Preach” and decided to first tackle waste management challenges within the college. This embarked the journey of Zero Waste Campus in CIT which was well-established as a proof of concept by studying the college and implementing best waste management practices. The college bagged Special Award by the First CSR Film Festival, “Best Waste Management” award at CII Conference of Indian Industries 2023 and Appreciation Letter by the Town Municipal Council (TMC), Moodbidire. Chairman of the College, Mr. D K Mohan was awarded Greenprenuer – Sustainability Trend Setter Award by Vyapaar Jagat.
As a ripple effect, TMC, Moodbidire adopted it at a policy level wherein they firmly believed behavioural change must begin at home, before extending the campaign to the public. TMC Office soon turned into a Zero Waste Office which bagged recognition by the DMA Office and Awarded for Best Practices 2021-2022, Zero Waste Office.
TMC, Moodbidire invited CEO of CIT College who addressed and inspired heads of both government and private educational institutions. Awareness sessions and workshops were conducted and 8 institutions turned into zero waste campuses.
Swachha Belaku, a 7R Project recognized the simplicity and effectiveness of Zero Waste Campus proof of concept established at Cambridge Institute of Technology and showed their interest to implement in other educational institutions in Yelahanka Zone. The concept was presented to Joint Commissioner, SWM BBMP, Yelahanka zone which was readily accepted and the initiative was launched in collaboration with BBMP. Many campuses are now turning into Zero Waste in the Yelahanka zone.
If your institutional goal is to protect the environment, then you ought to be a Zero Waste Campus! No placards, activities, photoshoots, lectures will save the environment. ACT NOW! Action speaks louder than words. Stop being the reason for angry and pain of the people dwelling near landfills.
GREEN CAMPUS VS ZERO WASTE CAMPUS
Green campus deals with eco-friendly initiatives and sustainable practices considering all the parameters of the campus such as green/renewable energy, plantations, water/wastewater management and recycling, green roofs, rainwater harvesting, energy-efficient lighting, waste management etc.
Zero Waste Campus is one of the components of Green Campus which deals with only the SOLID Waste (wet-dry-reject-E-waste) Management inside the campus.
ADDED BENEFITS
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Zero Waste Campus – No Waste shall go Wasted! – CAMBRIDGE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (CIT), K R PURAM, BENGALURU
Founded in 1964, the Cambridge Group of Institutions commenced its journey with Cambridge School. Over time, it grew, incorporating Cambridge Institute of Technology(CIT), Cambridge PU College, and Cambridge Degree College. Their primary responsibility as an educational institution was to deliver quality education but also to cultivate a pristine and green environment and to imbue students with ecologically progressive mindsets.
The Chairman and CEO of the College were disheartened to see the blackspots of KR Puram. He was motivated to contribute to this challenge and approached our team. Zero Waste Campus – cradle to cradle concept was successfully implemented in CIT College (3000+students), turning waste into a resource. Dry waste is segregated into 20 categories, wet waste is composted and reject waste is sent to empanelled vendors. Single-use items are banned inside the campus. Achieving this milestone was a triumphant moment to the college which bagged awards such as Special Award by the First CSR Film Festival, “Best Waste Management” award at CII Conference of Indian Industries 2023 and a Letter of Appreciation by the Town Municipal Council (TMC) of Moodabidire. It is the first College in India to manage its own waste in the campus at a micro-level. It resulted in noticeable behavioural changes among students and staff.
IMPACT
- 30% overall waste reduction achieved
- 36599 kg of waste (including low-value waste) recovery in 10 months
- 88+ trees saved in 10 months (considering quantity of waste from paper products)
- 98% landfill diversion
- 100% wet and garden waste recovery
- 100% scientific handling of Reject waste
- 3000+ students sensitized in awareness sessions
- 36 Government Schools adopted by CIT to conduct awareness sessions by their students.
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Waste was either mixed and sent to BBMP or burnt at the college backyard. Zero Waste Campus was established and standardized within a span of 3 months by prohibiting the use of single-use items in the campus, segregating waste at the source of generation and composting techniques. Principles of Rethink and Refuse, Reduce, Recycle, Upcycle and Sustain were adopted. Extensive Awareness sessions and workshops conducted to enhance the knowledge of the system implemented and its impact.
Media Coverage
D K Mohan Bagged Greenpreneur – Sustainability Trend Setter Award – Vyapaar Jagat
