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